The Juxtapose Accentuation
by thesilencekeeper
Summary: My imagination of events that lead to how Sheldon and Amy got back together. I overthink things, sometimes.
1. Chapter 1 - The Online Roulette

A/N: I had a nagging feeling that the puzzle of how ShAmy got back together is incomplete. So my imagination ran wild and created this story. I've originally posted this on Wattpad and just now willed myself to share it with you all. Let me know what you think.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything about The Big Bang Theory that is included in the story. Just writing to favor my imagination.

Here we go...

Chapter 1: Online Roulette

Sheldon's attention was focused on the timer that's currently running on his phone. " _Only two more minutes..."_ he thought. He was skeptical at first; when he asked Howard and Raj the day before, he wasn't sure that his friends would actually find someone to set him up with so fast. Finding Amy all those years ago through that dating site was nothing but a fortunate accident after all. It was nothing but a result of them wanting to play a trick on him, which is why when his friends informed him that they found a girl who wants to see him, he didn't have much time to reconsider if he really wanted to go out with someone again. Knowing he wasn't fully prepared to meet anyone, but not wanting to back out completely, his brain worked fast and came up with the idea of setting up obstacles for this lady who his friends wanted to set him up with. He thought that would buy him time to come up with a decision and at the same time, would give him the chance to see just how far this lady would go just to be on a "date" with him.

"Looks like I won't be seeing her after all." he whispered to himself. Looking at his phone screen, the timer now 30 seconds away from going off, he was still unsure about the idea of going on a date with someone new. He thought the whole day was enough for him to make a decision, but it's almost 10 o' clock and his mind is still playing along the line of indecision.

 _*Rrrriiinnnggg*_

The alarm went off and he somehow felt odd and at the same time, relieved that the person didn't show up. To be fair, the challenges he came up with were far from mundane. _Ha!_ Like his mind would ever think about anything simple. At least he wouldn't have to succumb to the social convention of handshaking and being polite to a stranger.

He got up from his spot and started walking to the kitchen. A nice cup of chamomile tea before hitting the sack sounds lovely. He placed the kettle to boil some water and sat on one of the stools to wait. Dating. Such a ridiculous activity. Throwing yourself out there, telling a girl about your self; what you like, what you don't like. Under the gaze of eyes that are probably examining every single detail of your face. Talking to a complete stranger with the hope that she's not one of those girls who likes to talk about shoes or clothes. He was a guy. Granted he's now open to acknowledging that he has emotions since they shot his part in the _Spockumentary_ , still, he was not thrilled with all kinds of girly or hippie dippy things.

Like romance; _Romance_. Pouring some water to his mug, his mind wandered to what these days, is something that he tries not to think about: _Amy_. That's what Amy wanted, no, needed. He couldn't give it soon enough. He failed to show her the kind of romance that she deserves. It's not like he didn't try or didn't want it, otherwise they wouldn't have made out on the couch like teenagers that night on their fifth anniversary. But clearly that wasn't enough. He stopped the kiss by asking Amy's opinion about whether he should add The Flash TV series to his already long list of shows to watch. He had to though. He needed to regain control because he was starting to really like what they're doing and he wasn't used to the overwhelming feeling of pleasure, excitement and hunger for more. He wasn't ready to do _more_ , so what did he do? He resorted to asking Amy a trivial question that he knew will throw her off. He knew that will work, but boy, was he not prepared for her asking for time off. She usually can tolerate him and his quirkiness, and his love for all things Scifi, but he didn't know that night, that attempt to regain control over his languid senses will ignite a rift that eventually cost him his relationship with the most important woman in his life. His Amy...

He was brought back to his senses by three knocks on his door. Sheldon shuffled to the door, puzzled. " _It's almost 10:30, who can this possibly be?"_ he thought.

He swung the door open, finding a blonde woman with short hair like Penny's, with a quizzical expression on her face. What Sheldon noted immediately was the woman's height; they were almost at the same eye level. " _Interesting,"_ he thought.

"Hi, I know it's a bit late but is this where Sheldon Cooper lives?" she asked in a sweet voice that almost didn't match her physical appearance.

Sheldon didn't know how to handle the situation. He couldn't believe that the person in front of him was actually there. He wasn't sure if the woman was there because she completed all of his challenges or because she was annoyed and was there to tell him off.

"Yes, you got the right place. And that's Dr. Sheldon Cooper, to you." he said carefully, but with a hint of smugness that always surfaces when he hears his name being mentioned in such a banal way.

The woman furrowed her brows for a second but immediately smiled and said, "I'm sorry, Dr. Cooper. I'm Vanessa Bennett. I understand we were supposed to go on a date, but... Surprisingly, there were some things I needed to go through that led me here at this late hour."

Yup. This woman was definitely going to tell him off for the things he made her go through before even meeting him in person.

Sheldon was sure that he was about to get a scolding from this woman, but before he can try to say something, the woman spoke again. "To be honest, this is a first. Normally the blind dates that I go to are mostly just dinner in some fancy restaurant and talking the whole time over a good meal. So when I realized that you were like, testing me, I kind of felt confused but at the same time the idea piqued my curiosity. So i went through everything that you set up and I had trouble hailing a cab to get here so now I'm 30 minutes late but I was wondering if that matters or not because, well, I did finish your challenges. So..." her voice trailed off, she was almost out of breath after her outburst.

 _"Are blondes naturally this chatty? Penny is. And clearly so is this woman."_ he thought, getting a bit annoyed. Vanessa was looking at him with curiosity, and, if he's not mistaken, a hint of pleading. Then again, he wasn't exactly the best at reading facial expressions. He still wasn't sure how to proceed with the situation so in his best attempt to sound genuinely sorry, he said, "I appreciate the effort, however you went past the time limit that I gave you. The instructions were clear that you needed to be here on or before 10 PM, otherwise we can't move forward on this "blind date" situation." Using air quotes to highlight the words blind date.

Vanessa just stood there for a while, her eyes wide and her brows started rising. She cannot process the incredulity of the situation. " _This guy is a complete whacko!"_ she thought. Seeing as he was about to say more, she held up a finger in front of him that made him close his mouth right away.

"I didn't know what to think when your friends told me that you were not an ordinary guy," she began slowly. "But this, this just proves that they were not lying. Do you know just how tired I am from running around all day, all over the town trying to figure out your stupid puzzles; trying to find the next clue and trying to remind myself that I don't know you and that maybe, just maybe, you're not as bad as any of the other guys that I've met over the past year," she continued, her voice getting louder and louder. "You send me on these quests, making me answer riddles... Just the idea that you had to put me through a lot before we even get to know each other and then telling me that we can't go on an actual date because i was late... Not even bothering to ask me inside to sit or offer me something to drink considering that you, of all people, should know just how exhausted I am from all the stuff you made me do... I thought the idea was "fun" at first, but those questions, those are not for the weak minded! I had to keep reminding myself that I should continue and give you a chance and not judge you right away. But seriously, what guy in the right mind would do that? Any of that!" she was yelling now.

"I... uhm..." was all that came out of Sheldon. Mentally noting that this is one of the very rare occasions where he was rendered speechless, he just stared at her. He couldn't understand why he felt frozen. Maybe because she was yelling. He still didn't like people yelling, what more if the person was actually yelling at him?

"You know what? This is so not worth it. Even if I got here on time, I think we wouldn't click. You know why? Because you're crazy! I'm out of here!" and she stormed off, running down the stairs.

Sheldon, thinking of the automatic response that pops into his head when someone calls him crazy, shouted after her, "I'm not crazy, my mother had me tested!"


	2. Chapter 2 - The Train Store Occurrence

**A/N:** Well… This story is almost done in Wattpad, so I figured I should post the rest throughout the day. I'd love to hear your opinion on the story. Don't worry, this is a ShAmy fic. I just like Vanessa and thinks that she should have had a longer participation in TBBT.

 **Disclaimer:** None of The Big Bang Theory characters or plot, which is included in this story, is mine.

Chapter 2: The Train Store Occurrence

Sheldon's mind was drifting off to thoughts of the previous evening. He waited for a woman that his friends found for him as a date; sure, she arrived about 30 minutes late, but she actually came. Vanessa Bennett. She stormed off when he told her that he didn't want the date to move forward because she failed to arrive on time. _Ppft!_ _I probably dodged a bullet there_ , he thought. Clearly the woman was suffering from one of her monthly cycles. He wouldn't want to deal with that.

"Buddy, let's go," said Leonard. They were dropping him off at the train store on their way to the mall to do some shopping. He nodded and stood up, grabbed his messenger bag from his desk chair and said, "Alright."

"Sweetie, what would you like to have for dinner tonight?" Penny asked him. It was Thursday and they still observe Anything-can-happen-Thursday every once in a while. He barely noticed her question as he was now staring off into space, just standing by his desk. His mind was currently occupied by thoughts of Amy and that guy who kissed her in front of her apartment. _How can Amy let that guy do such act in public?_ Then he remembered what happened last year; Amy kissing him under the mistletoe at the mall. His lips suddenly felt tingly at the thought of that kiss.

"Sweetie, are you okay?" She asked again, placing her hand on his shoulder, trying to meet his eyes. He looked at her and nodded. "Yes, I'm fine. We should go." He started walking towards the door, leaving the couple behind him, who exchanged looks of confusion. Leonard just shrugged and they followed in suit.

The couple, though still concerned, have been used to seeing him like that since the night after he ran off to propose to Amy. He never said anything specific, but he told them he didn't do it. He continued to refuse answering their questions about what happened.

Making sure that Sheldon was already a few flights down the stairs; Penny turned to her husband and asked, "What did you think about Dave?"

The man furrowed his brows for a second and answered, "Well, he seems like a jolly fella. Plus he's really tall. I think Amy's got a thing for tall guys."

"I know! That one's even taller than Sheldon." She said nonchalantly.

Sheldon was three flights ahead of them and stopped at the mention of his name. He turned his head towards the conversation.

"I think he's nice. By the looks of it, he seemed really interested in Amy. If only you saw how was leaning at the table with so much enthusiasm on his face. He was intently listening to whatever Amy was telling him," finished the blonde.

Sheldon didn't know how to feel about what he just heard. So his friends were out last night with Amy? And she was on another date apparently. That didn't make sense.

The couple caught up with him and immediately stopped talking when they saw him just standing at the landing. They looked surprised to see him and they knew that the lanky physicist heard them. Sheldon had his poker face on, not wanting to give too much away with any facial expressions. Although if he were honest, he didn't even know what he was feeling anyway.  
"Sheldon-" started Leonard, but Sheldon cut him off. "It is not necessary for you to say anything." And with that he finished the remaining set of stairs and exited the building. He waited by the car and went inside the back seat once Leonard unlocked the doors.

The drive was quiet and it took a short time due to light traffic. "We'll pick you up in an hour and a half. Call us if you need anything," said Penny. He thanked them and went inside the train store after they drove away.

 _Ah, finally! Something to keep my mind off..._ He didn't let the thought finish. He went through the new display section of the store and admired the Custom O Gauge New York Central that was going around its tracks. He liked the trains in New York. That was one of his favorite stops during his trip, less than two years ago. He went through the other sets around the store and found an O Scale Union Texas 33K Gallon Tank Car, which he decided to get. He asked the attendant for a new set and just scanned the stores shelves while waiting. He was behind one of the shelves that covered him from the entrance and was oblivious to the people coming in and out of the store. It wasn't until he heard a familiar voice that he froze, a cold feeling going through his body.

"...well, I wasn't really into toy trains, but the ones they have here are pretty impressive." He heard from two aisles away. _Thank god for my Vulcan hearing!_ He thought.

"Well, you did not disappoint. These are fantastic! Thank you for coming with me today." Sheldon heard a man with thick, British accent respond to Amy. "I haven't really gotten around since I moved here. Kept to myself in my flat most of the time," the man continued.

"Well don't mention it," said Amy. She was just smiling at the gentle giant who she rejected the other night. Sure, he may have been a total Sheldon-atic, but he was still a nice guy, a nice, foreign guy who didn't have friends in an unfamiliar place; which is why she agreed to show her this place.

 _Drat! Of all the places in this town, why here?!_ Sheldon's mind was frantic. He chanced a glance to where the conversation was coming from, thankful that there are shelves blocking him from Amy's view. He quickly looked away when he confirmed it was indeed her. He needed to get out of there, fast. Having no idea how he would deal with the situation if she found out he was there too, he started walking towards the entrance as fast, and unnoticed, as possible. Luckily, the pair was examining one of the glass protected display and had their backs turned to the main door. Sheldon didn't waste a second and walked out the door. He started backing away from the store, still not peeling his eyes from inside the store, making sure Amy won't see him outside.

He was past the glass windows of the store and turned to face the other way. Since he was walking backwards, he didn't notice that there was someone behind him and couldn't prevent bumping into the person the moment he turned around.

"Aaahh!" the woman screamed as she collided into Sheldon. "Dear lord!" It was his turn to yell when a jumbo cup of smoothie fell on his head, drenching him in the cold, sticky liquid. The woman started wiping some of the liquid from his chest while muttering her apology. Sheldon had his eyes closed because of the cold sensation.

"Wait, Dr. Cooper?" She heard the woman in front of her ask. He opened his eyes and saw it was Vanessa.


	3. Chapter 3 - The Southeners Reunion

**A/N:** OOC Sheldon… Hope you like him, anyway. I'm bad with author notes.

 **Disclaimer:** None of The Big Bang Theory characters or plot, which is included in this story, is mine.

 **Chapter 3** : **The Southerners Reunion**

"Oh my god! You're shivering! My building is just four doors down. You need to wash up, come on!" She said, pulling him by his arm. Sheldon was, indeed, freezing. He feared that he was suffering from hypothermia and couldn't quite focus on anything else but the cold feeling dominating his body.

He didn't fight against her dragging him towards her apartment. Once inside the building, they rode the elevator to get to her floor. Luckily, her apartment was the first one on the floor and she hastily opened the door.

"I'm so sorry, Dr. Cooper! I wasn't looking and I didn't see you coming," said Vanessa, sounding really worried.

"It's o-okay. I-I didn't s-see you coming e-either." He was still too cold and was having a hard time talking.

He was awkwardly standing by the door, not sure if he should come in or stay there. Vanessa walked towards him and pulled him by the arm inside, then closed the door. "You need to get out of those clothes," she said, walking over to a nearby cabinet and taking a white towel out.

"Here, take this. That door is the bathroom. I'll check my dresser to see if there's anything you can wear in there," she finished, pointing to a door to his left. He took the towel and just nodded.

His initial reaction upon entering the bathroom was pure awe. Despite the cold feeling, he couldn't help but admire the organization and apparent cleanliness of the room he's in. Towels, bottles, soaps, everything was arranged either by color or by size. The cold and sticky feeling, finally getting to him, he started taking his shirts off and washed his hands and shoulders with warm water from the shower. He still didn't feel clean and warm enough.

Contemplating the possibility of him catching any disease or unknown germs from a bathroom that looked immaculate and him catching a cold because of being soaked in smoothie, he gave up and took the rest of his clothes off and stepped into the shower.

Meanwhile, in the other room, Vanessa was rummaging in her closet, trying to find something that she can give the physicist so that he can change into clean clothes. While looking around, she couldn't help but think about the guy in her bathroom right now. His cheeks were pink because of the smoothie that covered him. _He actually looked cute._ She shook her head at that thought, remembering what happened last night. He basically rejected her even after going through a lot of trouble just to meet him. And why? Simply because she arrived late. She felt really irritated that she started yelling at him and just walked away. What a big jerk, sure, maybe he was a genius, but he was a total jerk for ignoring her efforts.

She didn't know what to expect from him when she saw the ad about his challenge, but it definitely wasn't that. Her thoughts were cut off when she finally saw a paper bag with a ribbon. She stared at the bag for almost a minute, let out a sigh and said, "Well, no one's going to use it." She picked it up and went out to check what's going on with the physicist.

"Dr. Cooper? Are you okay?" Sheldon heard her call outside. He felt so much better after cleaning up under the warm water. He cracked the door open enough to show his face. He saw her holding a blue bag that obviously looked like a gift. He looked at her with a puzzled look.

Vanessa was looking at him with the same expression. She realized that Sheldon took a shower and was a bit surprised. She thought he was just going to clean up by the sink. She was staring at his wet hair and his cheeks that looked flushed. She blinked and asked, "Did you just take a bath in there?"

Sheldon felt his face getting warm. He just realized that taking a shower at a stranger's bathroom isn't exactly considered normal by society. "I apologize. My body temperature wouldn't go down by simply washing my arms and head. I needed to stand under warm water for a few minutes until I felt better." He finished with a quiet voice.

Vanessa, pondering his words, smiled at him and extended her arm with the hand holding the bag. "Here. This was supposed to be a gift for someone last year, but you need something else to wear, so here," shaking the bag in front of his face. He took it, thanked her and closed the door again.

He went out the bathroom a few minutes later wearing the same pants but now paired with a deep blue, polo. He was holding the bag that now contained his wet Batman t shirt and undershirt.

"Hey... Uhm...I'm done."

Vanessa was on her couch that was facing the short hallway that lead to the rooms of her unit. She looked up and had to swallow as she takes in the view that was in front of her. _Forget cute, he's actually hot!_ Vanessa thought as she stares at him. The shirt fit perfectly on his body. It accented his broad shoulders and made him look brawny and not just lanky. She didn't notice this before because he was wearing two shirts that doesn't exactly help the imagination.

"Your name's Vanessa, am I correct?" The man asked, pulling her back to reality.

"Yes, I'm Vanessa, Vanessa Bennett. How do you feel?"

"I feel much better, thank you. I'm sorry about taking a shower without asking your permission. I just felt cold and I needed to-" he wasn't able to finish, as Vanessa interrupted him. "That's okay Dr. Cooper. It was my smoothie that fell on you, after all." She smiled at him and motioned for him to sit on one of the armchair in front of him. "Please sit. I'll make you some tea to warm you up. Or do you prefer coffee?"

"Tea is fine. Actually I don't drink coffee." He followed her with his eyes as she disappeared behind a door opposite of the bathroom.

While waiting for her, Sheldon scanned the living area of her apartment. It looked real neat, and black and white dominated the interiors. Her couch and the two armchairs were black and covered in corduroy. There were two tall shelves filled with books of different thickness and sizes. In between was a white, study table with all sorts of items like a pen holder, a laptop and some papers and notebooks held together by... His eyebrows shot up as he realized what the bookends were. _Are those Storm Trooper bookends?!_ He thought. He walked to the study table to examine them closely. They were made of marble and the design was very detailed. Just then, Vanessa came out of the kitchen with a small tray with two cups, a pot and some pastry.

"I see you found my bookends," he heard, making him turn around. She was setting the tray on her wooden center table.

Sheldon walked back and sat on the chair he abandoned earlier. "They look wonderful. Where did you get them?" He asked with a boyish grin on his face. Vanessa smiled back at him, amused by the childlike quality of his expression. "My brother gave them to me last year, for Christmas."

Sheldon nodded thoughtfully as he accepted the cup of tea from her. "Do you have other Star Wars collectibles?"

"Not here, no. They're still in Houston, at my parents' house. See, I just moved here about four months ago." She added, seeing the confusion on his face when she mentioned Houston.

"You're from Houston? I'm from Galveston!" He all but squealed after finding out that she's from Texas too.

"Really? That's so cool! You know, I wouldn't have considered you for a Texan..." she said, staring at the ceiling, look of wonder crossing her face before smiling at him again.

"Why not?" He asked irritability.

Vanessa, recognizing the change in his tone quickly explained, "No, don't get me wrong! Nothing against you! You just didn't look... or sound like a southerner."

"I can easily say the same for you," he said as he surveyed her from head to toe. She studied herself at his words. She was wearing a UCLA sweatshirt with a pair of tights that goes down to her knees. She had just finished jogging when they bumped into each other earlier. "Okay, so maybe we both don't resemble someone from Texas," she finished, laughing and then taking one of the mini muffins on the table. Sheldon couldn't help but smile at her remark.

He rarely met someone from his home state. Not that he wanted to, considering everything he went through as a child, born and raised in Galveston.

They were both quiet for a while. Sheldon took one of the muffins when Vanessa offered them. It was chocolate and it was tasty.

"Listen, I'm sorry-" they said at the same time.

"No, I'm sorry-" still talking over each other.

"You go ahead-" yet again, talking at the same time.

Sheldon let out a sigh and closed his eyes. Vanessa stared at him, bemused.

"I'm sorry for spilling my Jamba juice all over you and for drenching your clothes; also for yelling at you last night." She said, her voice getting quieter as she finishes her apology.

"Don't worry about that. You welcomed me here and gave me a change of clothes. I must admit, I felt that last night was my fault. I... I am not used to most social situations. I didn't know how to handle having you there last night. My mind resorted to the technicalities of my ad and... Well, I'm sorry for sending you away like that." He was talking fast and wasn't even aware where his words were coming from. He realized though that he somehow felt lighter after his speech. The whole time, he was looking at the table, so when he looked up, he was surprised to see Vanessa smiling at her. He finally relaxed.

"Well, we didn't start off great, but we're here now and, well, unless you have other plans, I was wondering if you'd like to have lunch with me?"

Sheldon wasn't used to a girl being so blunt, asking him out. He wasn't used to girls, asking him out, period. He still felt a little guilty about last night; then he remembered Amy, today at the train store with the guy who kissed her. With that thought, he answered, "It'll only be for lunch, right? Will this be considered a... a date?"

 _Yup, this guy's different alright,_ she thought. "It doesn't have to if you don't want it to be. I'm just hungry since my breakfast was accidentally poured all over you and I'm just happy to meet someone from Texas, like me. I'd love to have you for company over a proper meal." She finished, flashing a smile that made Sheldon feel warmth in his chest.

"Alright then," he stood up and grabbed his bag and the paper bag with his wet clothes. He was about to head for the door when Vanessa said, "Wait, I just need to wash up and change into something more appropriate. You feel free to watch some TV or read my books while you wait."

He sat back down as she disappeared into a third door which he assumed was her bedroom. His eyes once again roamed around the details of the apartment. He noticed the cabinet where a line of frames were gathered. He stood up and looked at the photos. He saw one of, what he can only assume was Vanessa and her family. She must have been ten or twelve years old in the photo. She had her arms wrapped around a boy who was a head taller than her, who must be her brother. Their parents were behind them in the same position. The family looked really happy.

Glancing back around the living area, he spotted the digital clock on her TV stand and saw the time. "Drat!" He exclaimed, as he remembered Leonard and Penny. They were going to pick him up at the train store and it's been more than two hours since they left him there. Pulling out his phone from his messenger bag, he was surprised to see that it wasn't on. He tried to power it on but pressing the button wasn't doing anything. He can imagine the couple getting worried upon learning that he wasn't at the store anymore.

"So… any particular idea where we should go for lunch?" Vanessa asked, while going through her purse, fishing out her keys. Sheldon was distracted by her sudden reappearance and question.

Forgetting what he was trying to do, he said, "You proposed that we go to lunch together, shouldn't you be the one to decide where we'll eat?"

She rolled her eyes and said, "Fine. Don't worry, I know this great place. Are you ready?"

It was a Saturday and although he didn't eat any specific food for lunch, he looked at her skeptically for using the word "great". _Well, if I'm getting used to letting things go..._ he thought and nodded.

Vanessa opened the door and let him out first, smiling, as she followed him out, locking the door behind her.


	4. Chapter 4 - The Forces of Distraction

**A/N:** I swear, this is a SHAMY fiction. Patience, my good people.

 **Disclaimer:** None of The Big Bang Theory characters or plot, which is included in this story, is mine.

Chapter 4: The Forces of Distraction

"...I suppose, but most of my time has been devoted to studying." He said, smiling at Vanessa who was sitting across the table from him.

She chose a small restaurant near her apartment that serves southern cuisine. They ordered one plate of buffalo chicken and another of spareribs barbecue. Sheldon haven't had either for a while now. He told Vanessa it was so cliché of her for her choices, but she just dismissed him by saying "Oh, you know you like it."

"So are you saying that, given the chance, you would've played football at your school?" She asked while cutting some chicken meat carefully, in case it slides off her porcelain plate.

"Well, it wouldn't be a matter of me wanting it as much as my father actually forcing me to join a team."

They've been talking about random things and somehow got to a discussion about football which led to her asking a bit about his childhood in Texas. He found out that she attended two years of her time in elementary in the same school where he and Missy went to.

"I can totally see you being a quarter back, you know."

"How so? I don't suppose you possess supporting evidence that I would be well suited for that position, do you? Granted, I excel in almost everything that I do, it is unclear how you arrived at that conclusion." Sheldon finished, earning him a bemused look from the woman across him.

"Okay, Dr. I-over-analyze-everything! I was merely voicing out my opinion. Must you over think, like, all the time?"

"I highly doubt my questions were due to over thinking. I was trying to... Oh. Was that a rhetorical question?" He asked, noticing that her eyebrows were now raised.

Vanessa laughed and Sheldon found himself smiling. Usually he feels perplexed when someone laughs at him for unknown (to him at least) reasons. They continued talking for another hour over some pies. It wasn't until Vanessa checked her phone that he remembered about his own, that wouldn't power on earlier. Following that thought was... "Oh boy..."

"What's wrong, Dr. Cooper?" She asked, seeing the worried look on his face.

"My friends were supposed to pick me up at the train store hours ago. I was meaning to call them before we left for lunch but, well, I was distracted." He finished quietly. "I can imagine Leonard getting worried, and Penny getting frustrated. They might even think I ran away again."

"What do you mean, again? You've ran away before?" She asks, with pure concern. She felt confused about why his statement concerned her more than it should.

"Well, technically, yes. Although, they did find me before I boarded the train. I just asked them to let me go because at the time, I really wanted to be left alone." His eyes were thoughtful as he recalls his month long journey; riding train after train. "You know, I really like trains. They're my favorite mode of transportation. There was this one-"

"Dr. Cooper, your friends?" Vanessa reminded him and cutting him off.

"Oh, right. See, I'm getting distracted again!" exclaims Sheldon with a little irritation. He's normally immune to distractions and rarely does he get his thoughts derailed. Could it be because of Vanessa? He doesn't know and now is hardly the right time to figure that puzzle out. He needs to let his friends know he's okay. "I need to go home."

"I can drive you home if you want," she offered. It was partly her fault too, that he's not with his friends right now.

"Is that offer for real?"

"Of course. Why not? Besides, I already know where you live. It's not that far from here."

"Very well, then. Let's go." He dismissed and got up. He dropped some money on the table and started walking out of the restaurant. Vanessa just smiled after him and followed. _He's different alright... but in a nice way._

They were walking back to her apartment to get the car. They both fell in a comfortable kind of silence. Vanessa was curious about him running away, though. "So... Running away... mind if I ask why you did it?"

"It was a combination of things that built this dam and that day, the wall preventing the spill just went crumbling down. It was too much for me to handle so I decided to stay away from everyone I know for a while."

"I didn't know you could be mellow-dramatic." She told him.

He looks down at her, trying to decipher her reaction but fails. "Sarcasm?"

She looked up at his question, confused, "Wha- no! Of course not."

"Oh, alright. I apologize. I don't have a good grasp on sarcasm or irony. I can't always tell when people are being serious or not."

"Well don't worry. I wasn't being sarcastic." She approached a CR-Z and went around to the driver's side. She unlocked the doors and motioned for Sheldon to get in.

-  
"Got anything?" Leonard asks with panic in his voice. He was talking on the phone with Raj who was driving around town with Howard. "Alright, call me when you know something." He hung up, rubbing his temple with his fore finger and thumb. _Damn Sheldon!_ _Where did you go this time?_ He thought. He was getting more and more worried about his roommate's whereabouts. The last time he went missing, he went on a train journey for more than a month. Knowing how much Sheldon must be hurting right now wasn't helping his imagination.

Just then Penny burst in 4A, "Any news? I just called Amy. He's not with her but she's on her way here, says she'll help look for him."

Penny was as worried as Leonard. Sure, Sheldon was still annoying as hell, but he's become like their child since they got married and whether they like it or not, they care too much for him to be mad at him for doing things like this. Right now, she just wants to know he's okay. She knows how much emotional pain he's in and not knowing what happened that night when he went out to propose to Amy just adds up to the endless possibilities of him doing something crazy. She didn't even want to start thinking about it.

"Nothing from Raj and Howard; I still get voice-mail when I dial his number. I'm really pissed at him right now! Why would he even leave the store?"

Penny knew how worried his husband was. She walked over to the armchair sat beside him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. "I know," was all that she can say.

"I feel useless. I can't even help my own best friend." Leonard felt defeated. He wanted to help his friend. He knew Sheldon wasn't capable of handling too many emotions at the same time. Normally, he can comfort the man, even if he sometimes had to ask Penny's assistance, at least they can get to him. Of course, it doesn't help that lately, Sheldon's been unusually quiet and avoids being engaged in any kind of conversation.

"I'm sure he's okay. It's not your fault, honey." Penny was trying to comfort him even though she felt the same way. Sheldon's like a brother to him. Hell, more like a son, even. It breaks her to see the guy so sad, he doesn't even want to let anyone in anymore. It's like he's reverting to his old self: Keeping his thoughts to himself unless it's related to things like Physics or science fiction.

-  
"Come on, pick up, pick up, pick up!" Amy was practically yelling at her phone. She's been trying to call Sheldon since she left her apartment. She was driving as fast as the traffic rules will permit.

"Where on earth are you Sheldon..." her words came out as a whisper. She felt guilty. If Penny was right about him running away, she couldn't think of another reason other than the pain she's put him through after their breakup. _This isn't fair! I'm hurting too! But you don't see me running away like that!_

There were two cars in front of the building when she got there. One was Penny's, but the other was an unfamiliar vehicle. She went out. She headed for the door and saw a tall, blonde woman going out of the building.

"Hold the door, please!" Amy yelled at the blonde, seconds before she can let go of the glass door. She was half running towards the apartment building. Walking past Vanessa, she muttered a quick, "Thank you."

"You're welcome." Vanessa told Amy with a smile and she continued walking towards her car.


	5. Chapter 5 - The Trepidation

**A/N:** REVIEWS! I am getting reviews! THANK YOU SO MUCH! You folks are awesome!

To address one review (Francine1223, and thank you for the review), initially all I had in my head was ShAmy; however, the Sheldon-Vanessa thing is somehow getting reader's attention so I'm expanding her role in this tale of mine. I have to say though, that this is still, indeed, a SHAMY fiction. If people like ShAnessaor ShelVan though, I can write another fic with those two; but I'll see how this one goes first.

On with the story…

 **Disclaimer:** None of The Big Bang Theory characters or plot, which is included in this story, is mine.

Chapter 5: The Trepidation

Sheldon was on his way up the last set of stairs when he saw Penny coming out of their apartment. She turned upon hearing his footsteps and he saw how fast her expression changed from one of worry to anger. He wanted to run back down but Penny was quicker and was in front of him in a flash.

"You. Stupid. Selfish. Whack-a-doodle!" She highlighted her words by jabbing a finger on his chest while speaking.

Blood drained from his face and he tried to go around Penny and stepped onto the landing. The door to their apartment opened and Leonard stepped out, gauging the situation. Penny was again walking towards Sheldon, still glaring at the lanky physicist. "Do you have any idea how worried we were?! What, did you just decide to go around the city without telling us? We were about to call your mom!"

"You di-"

She held up one hand, "I'm not done yet! No, we haven't! Sheldon, do you not understand just how much you can scare people when you decide to leave without telling us where you're going?!"

Leonard finally moved next to his wife and put his hand on either shoulder to restrain her. He felt that she might smack him or something if he didn't hold her. "Penny..." His voice was pleading.

She turned her head to look at her husband. "What? Just a few minutes ago you were fuming! I'm just letting him know how I- no, we, feel about the idea of him running away again!"

"I know, and I completely understand. He's here now. Let me talk to him, okay? Why don't you go into your apartment and have some wine. Sheldon's back and that's what's important." He spoke softly, trying to placate his wife.

Sheldon was looking at the couple with wide eyes. He was scared that Penny was going to go all Nebraska on him, but he saw her relax at her husband's words. She turned her head back at him and spoke a little calmer, "You don't just leave like that, Sheldon. Do you understand? You don't act all depressed and then just wander off without letting anyone know where you're going! And what the hell are you wearing? Did you go shopping?"

He looked down and forgot about the blue, button-up shirt that Vanessa gave him. "No, I..." He didn't know how to start the whole story, so instead, he decided to apologize. "I'm sorry Penny, Leonard. It was never my intention to make either of you worry. Some things happened and well... It's a long story. I wasn't running away. I had no intentions to run away, believe me." Despite his fear of being yelled at again, he moved forward and enveloped the couple into an awkward hug. "I know I can be a lot to handle. I have a lot on my mind right now and I am aware that you both have your own troubles, so please know that the last thing I want is for you to start worrying about me, too."

Leonard and Penny exchanged confused looks over his shoulders. Penny, feeling a little relieved and surprised, tentatively placed one arm around him. "Sweetie, you're our friend. Of course we'll be worried. It's not something that you can put a stop to."

"I under-" He had to stop talking. He closed his eyes when he dove into the hug and when he opened his eyes, he saw the last person he wanted to see at the moment. The couple pulled back to look at him and followed his un-moving gaze.

"Oh, hey Amy, look. He's back. Yay..." Leonard said, with his best attempt at feigning cheerfulness.

Amy witnessed most of the exchange and was not sure how to proceed. She didn't know if she should just go, now that Sheldon's back. "I can see that." She tried to smile at them and look at Sheldon, but he averted his eyes and was now looking at the floor.

"That reminds me, we should let Howard and Raj know." Penny said.

They were quiet for a few heartbeats and could feel the awkwardness building up. Before anyone can talk, Sheldon spoke. "I apologize for causing this commotion in our social group. I did not have any intentions of ruining each of your plans for the day." At that, he looked at Amy for a second and looked between the couple. "I'll be in my room."

He started walking to his apartment when Amy spoke, "Sheldon..." He turned his head to look at her before he could close the door. "I'm glad you're okay." He just nodded and went in.

"Well... That was..." Leonard started.

"That was something," finished, Penny.

The trio on the landing just looked at the door of 4A. "He's back and he's okay. That's what we want, right?" Amy said with sadness that she can barely conceal.

"Amy..." Penny started walking to her.

"I should probably go. I still have a few papers to finish, anyway." She gave a forced smile and walked back down the stairs.

They followed her by eyes and Penny sighed when she was out of sight. Leonard wrapped his arm around Penny's waist and smiled at his wife. "For a second there, I thought you going to punch Sheldon."

She rolled her eyes at the man and hugged him instead of answering. They went in to 4A and started preparing for dinner. Leonard informed Howard and Raj that their friend was back and thanked both for helping.

Sheldon didn't realize how tired he was and quickly fell asleep after he lay on his bed. He was able to plug his phone to its charger after cleaning it up with baby wipes and he woke up when it started ringing. "Danger! Danger!" He sat upright and glanced at his nightstand. Looking at the screen, he saw an unknown number calling.

"Hello, who is this?" His words didn't hide the annoyance that he felt for having his nap time cut short.

"Oh. It's Vanessa. Were you doing something?"

He relaxed a little and spoke softly, trying to stifle a yawn, "No-oooooh.. Sorry. I was sleeping, actually."

"I didn't mean to interrupt your sleep. I just called because you left the bag with your shirts in the car. I just noticed when I got home."

"Oh, well I suppose I should pick that up on Monday. I'll ask my friend to drop me off at your place before going to work. Is 7:30, okay?"

"That's fine. I actually leave for work at 8, so yeah, that's perfect."

"Alright."

There was silence on the line and neither knew what to say next.

"I should let you sleep. I'll see you on Monday, Dr. Cooper."

"Vanessa, wait..."

"Yes?" She was curious and waited for him to speak after at least 10 seconds.

"Thank you, for today."

She was surprised. She didn't know why he was thanking her at all. Given her initial impression of the guy, she was sure that wasn't something that he did a lot. "Don't mention it. It was all I can do after ruining your shirt. Well, I should go."

"Hold on," he said abruptly. He hesitated at first, but he then spoke quietly, "You can call me Sheldon."

If she was surprised earlier, she didn't know how to handle his words this time. She didn't understand why, but she felt good about him letting her address him by his first name. She couldn't help but smile, a big smile.

"Okay. Good night... Sheldon."

"Good night, Vanessa."

She hung up, leaving him staring at his phone's screen for almost a minute. Something was stirring inside him and he wasn't sure what it was. He felt lighter, somehow, after talking to Vanessa. He looked down at the shirt he was wearing. He got off his bed and went around it to face the small mirror on the other side of his room. He surveyed himself for a minute. "This doesn't look bad. Not bad at all," he told himself as he adjusts the sleeve of his right arm. A smile crept up his face upon remembering Vanessa's initial reaction when he came out of her bathroom. He stood there for a while before deciding that he needed a bath in his own shower and that he still needs to face Leonard and Penny. With a huff, he took his Saturday night pajamas and went to the bathroom.

When he finished, he decided to unplug his phone from the charger and noticed that he has a few messages. Checking them, his eyes zeroed in on one particular message. It was from Amy. He opened the message and read the few words several times.

 _You scared us. I was worried that you took off again. I'm glad to know you didn't._

 _P.S._  
 _That shirt looked good on you._

He didn't know if he should respond or not. What annoyed him is that he didn't know what to make of her message. Were they friends? They haven't exactly established that since their breakup. The last time they spoke was filled with awkwardness and he didn't want to stay long so he hurried up the stairs after exchanging some pleasantries. He sighed in defeat. He's getting more worried each day. His faculty has been all over the place for a while now. He normally has every answer to questions that run in his head, but lately, he's been getting more questions and absolutely no answer.

 _Thank you._

It was all that he could write. He left his phone and went out the room. He will deal with the rest of the things in his mind later; for now, he has his roommates to answer to.


	6. Chapter 6 - The Elution of Altercations

**A/N:** Are author notes, necessary? I am unaware. Please let me know.

Anyway…

 **Disclaimer:** None of The Big Bang Theory characters or plot, which is included in this story, is mine.

Chapter 5: The Elution of Altercations

Penny and Leonard were setting the food on the kitchen island when they heard Sheldon walking down the hall. He was already in his pajamas and was tying his robe when he came into view.

"Hello..." He smiled weakly. He wasn't really up for questioning, but he didn't have an alternative. He was getting hungry and didn't want to miss dinner just because he didn't want to talk. He was still a little sleepy because of his interrupted, unscheduled nap.

"Hey buddy, food's ready. Do you want to eat?"

"Yes, please. I'm rather hungry." He didn't know why he was, considering the amount of food they had for lunch. That wasn't a small meal.

Leonard set another plate on the other side of the island. The couple took their seats and Sheldon walked around to take his. Penny served the pasta on their plates and they started to eat in silence.

"This is really good. Did you cook this, Penny?" Sheldon asked, slightly offending her. He still wasn't used to reading facial expressions, but this one was pretty obvious for him to not recognize it. "My apologies, really, this is quite pleasant." He offered an apologetic smile.

She stared at Sheldon with confusion all over her face. He looked at Leonard, only to find him looking as perplexed as his wife. He started feeling annoyed at how the couple was looking at him. "Is there a problem?"

"Sheldon. Look at me," Penny was trying to choose her words carefully, to avoid confusing him further. "Sweetie, you're acting... Well, for the lack of better term, weird."

He furrowed his brows. "I do not understand."

"Okay. Well, for starters, you seem to have no difficulty apologizing today. What's even more surprising is that you're realizing what you did wrong without us spelling it out for you. Just like right now, with you, correcting your comment on my cooking."

"I didn't mean to offend you, which you clearly were after I got the question out, so I did what social convention dictates is proper." He said, matter-of-factly.

"Okay, see now that's something our Sheldon would say." She said, relaxing a little. They have been talking about how the man owned up to what he did wrong just before he came out of his room. They were so used to him putting up a fight and sending all sorts of rebuttal, their way just so he can get out of situations he's not comfortable in.

He just looked sternly at Penny and then continued eating. Leonard was still curious about his friends' day and was itching to know what really happened.

"So... Do you want to tell us where you went this afternoon?" He was looking up at his friend, his glasses sliding off a bit down his nose.

"I was..." Sheldon hesitated. "I was at a friend's house." His eye twitched. _Darn it!_ He tried to avoid the eyes that were now intently at him.

"You're hiding something." It was a statement, "Also, what friend? Who else do you know in the area apart from Raj, Howard and Amy? Who by the way, were all out on the streets looking for you." Penny continued in a single breathe. Leonard patted her knees, trying to make her calm down.

Sheldon frowned at her words. He didn't want that; everyone getting worked up just because he was gone for a few hours. "I don't recall asking you to send out a search party!" His voice went a little higher than what he wanted to let out.

Penny couldn't believe what she was hearing. Was he really that selfish? She's been keeping her emotions at bay since they found out he wasn't at the train store; emotions that were conflicting as there were a lot of situations she was imagining him in up until she saw him walking up the stairs. She was surprised when her husband spoke.

"What the hell, Sheldon?!" Leonard was irritated. There they were, starting to panic, his mind going miles, every second that passes. He can't believe his friend can be this ungrateful. "You think we wanted that? Like you said, we all have our own load to worry about without a giant baby like you adding up to the list, so why on earth do you think we would busy ourselves looking all over town to find you?!"

Sheldon was looking at his food. He couldn't look up at his friends. He knew why. They just cared. They were looking after him. He didn't understand why he was being so ungrateful when clearly he should be thanking them.

Leonard was trying to even his breathing while Penny rubbed his back. He was glaring at Sheldon. He was secretly pleased that his outburst seems to have shut him up.

"I'm a grown man, you know." Sheldon almost whispered to his food.

"Really? Well buddy you should start acting like one!" Leonard's tone got the man before him to look up. Sheldon stared at him, with a shadow of confusion in his eyes. He didn't fully understand what his friend meant by that, but he sure didn't feel like eating anymore.

"Thank you for the dinner." He pushed took his plate to the sink and grabbed his water bottle. He didn't wait for a response from the couple. He made his way back to his room without glancing back.

Leonard let out a long sigh. He didn't want to yell at his friend. He knew how much he hated that; how much shouting can reduce the man into a frightened, little kid.

"Let's give him time," was all that Penny could say. She rested her head on his shoulder. "He'll come around. We keep forgetting that he's not exactly equipped to deal with so much emotion."

They continued eating. Sheldon never came out of his room for the rest of the night.

"Leonard, would you mind driving by Court Street before going to work?" Sheldon asked his friend, timidly. He didn't know what the protocol is after what happened the other night, but he wasn't taking a bus to Vanessa's because it would be time consuming.

"Why?" He didn't look at him. He was checking his bag. Penny was at the counter, pouring herself some coffee.

"I just need to pick up something. It's on the way to the University, it wouldn't take too much of our travel time if we leave now."

Leonard looked at him, and squinted his eyes a little, "Fine. Let's go." He grabbed his jacket and turned to his wife. "See you later, Penny."

The pair didn't talk once they got in the car. The silence was too much for Leonard, plus he was actually feeling guilty for yelling at his friend the other night.

"Sheldon, I'm sorry about the other night. I didn't mean to lose my temper." He got no response, so he continued. "You need to know that if you need to talk to someone we're here. We all are, buddy. You don't need to keep it to yourself, otherwise it will just build up and might explode when you least expect it. That's what we don't want to happen to you."

Nothing. The bespectacled man let out a long breath. "Okay. You don't have to say anything right now. Just remember that you can talk to us... when you feel like it, okay?"

Sheldon finally looked at his friend. "I saw a man kiss Amy in front of her apartment."

Leonard was shocked at his friends' words. _Well no wonder he was so down..._ He tried to get a quick glance at him and saw that he was back to looking out the window.

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"Don't be. You didn't kiss Amy."

He didn't know what to tell Sheldon. He tried to imagine him being in that same situation and admittedly, he probably would've drunk his loneliness away if that ever happened to him.

"That's why you didn't propose."

"Leonard, you're pointing out the obvious again."

Leonard gave a small smile. _At least I got him to say something._

When they were near Vanessa's street, Sheldon gave Leonard instructions until the apartment came into view. He looked at his watch and was happy that he was on time. As they drew closer to the apartment, Sheldon realized that Vanessa was at the steps in front of the building with a cup of coffee in her hands, the bag sitting beside her. He asked Leonard to stop in front of the building and he got out of the car.

Vanessa looked up at the sound of steps approaching her. She flashed a bright smile at him and was pleased when he did the same. "Hey Sheldon! Good morning," she said, standing up and pulling the bag containing his shirts with her.

"Good morning, Vanessa. So I take it that you are a coffee person?" He inquired, looking at the cup in her other hand.

"Well, I didn't get much sleep last night and I need to be fully awake for the study we're starting later." She handed the bag to him and he took it without looking away from her.

"I'm sorry to hear that. Thank you for keeping my shirts."

"No problem. Well, we still have jobs to go to, so... Bye, I guess."

"Yes. You have a nice day." Sheldon said, smiling at her again.

"You too; I'll see you around." She planted a quick peck on his cheek and she walked back to her building, leaving a dumbstruck Sheldon alone.

Leonard was intently watching the whole time and was probably as shocked as Sheldon when the girl, who was a total stranger to him by the way, kissed Sheldon. Sure, it was on the cheek, but this was Sheldon. Not to mention that it was from someone unfamiliar. He noticed that Sheldon was frozen so he tried to call his attention, "Sheldon!" He jerked and turned around. He shook his head slightly and went back to the car.

Leonard started driving again, glancing at his friend whenever he can. He was still looking out the window, but the faint pink stains on his cheeks were still noticeable.

"Who's your friend?" He tried to ask, trying hard not to sound amused.

"She's... just a new friend. Her name is Vanessa. She's from Texas, like me." Sheldon spoke quickly, not looking at his friend at all.

"Oh. So was she a childhood friend, a neighbor?" continued, Leonard.

"No. Just… someone I met recently."

"How'd you guys meet?" asked Leonard, determined to get as much answers as he can about the girl.

"Leonard, I'd prefer it if you stop interrogating me. I don't see how my making new friends should concern you; it's not like I acquired a drug lord for a friend." Sheldon spoke a bit sternly. Leonard just nodded and apologized.

"So you were with a _friend_ **,** the other day." Leonard said, more to himself than to Sheldon.

He glanced at Leonard, confused at the way he said the word friend. "That's what I said,"

He wanted to know more but decided against it. The shadow of his friends' sadness earlier seemed to have disappeared after the short meeting with his lady friend. He didn't want to see that again. They just drove in silence until they reached their destination.


	7. Chapter 7 - The Remnants of the Past

**A/N:** This is a bit short. I have been inconsistent with the length of each chapters. Longer ones to come though, I promise. Thank you for reading and for those who do, writing reviews. :)

To **michiamoverano,** whom I can not send a private message to: I love your insights. I'll see what I can do to answer those questions. Also, that Dave and Vanessa thing got my attention; I'll think about it. :)

Right; the story…

 **Disclaimer:** None of The Big Bang Theory characters or plot, which is included in this story, is mine.

Chapter 7: The Remnants of the Past

It was the third week of November and Amy was finalizing the papers of their latest study in her lab. She was typing away when the sound of an incoming Skype call filled the room.

"Hey bestie. What's up?" She greeted, as Penny's face appeared on her tablet. The blonde smiled back at her.

"Hey Ames. Are you busy? I was wondering if you'd like to have lunch?"

"I'm almost done here, actually. I can leave at 12:30. Is Bernadette coming with us?"

"No. She's kinda busy. They're in the process of developing this drug that can help reduce anxiety in like 10 seconds or something like that."

"Oh, okay. I'll see you in a bit then."

"Alright, I'll call you when I'm near Cal-tech. Bye." The tab closed and went to its home screen. It was a picture of the group during last year's Christmas Eve. She looked at everyone in the picture. She remembered how nice Raj's father was to offer his assistance in taking a photo of the group. For a moment, Amy could remember it like it was yesterday. She let her mind wander off to memories of that day, the paper she was finishing, all but forgotten.

( **flashback** )

 _"Sheldon, can you move a little closer to your left?" Mr. Koothrapalli, asked him, trying to get everyone in the frame._

 _"Okay, now, Rajesh try to turn sideways. Okay, that's good. Everyone, say Christmas!"_

 _"Christmas!" The group said, in unison as the flash went off._

 _"There you go." He hands Raj the camera and he checks his father's shot to make sure it wasn't blurry. Satisfied, Raj announced, "I think I'll have this printed. I will send a copy of the photos through email though."_

 _The others agreed. Sheldon was just smiling like a little kid while enjoying more of the cookies he got from Amy. He missed those little sugary delectable. It's been a while since he's been home and had any of his mom's or meemaw's cooking. The rest of the group were engaged in light conversations when Amy noticed her boyfriend, sitting alone at the table. She walked over and placed a hand on his shoulder. He looked up and smiled at her._

 _"Thanks for these, again." He said in between chewing and swallowing._

 _"Again, you're welcome." She sat down next to him and watched him take another cookie. He noticed her and stopped before he could put the treat into his mouth._

 _"Would you like to try one?" She smiled at him and was about to say no when his hand started to move towards her mouth to feed her. "Here," he said so she would open her mouth._

 _She didn't know which surprised her more: the fact that he didn't mind sharing the coveted treats with her or that her boyfriend just willingly fed him a cookie. Either way, she was glad on his insistence because he wasn't exaggerating about how good it tasted. Warmth and_ _coziness_ _were the words she associated with the taste. Hugs. That's what he compared the cookies to, earlier. His meemaw's hugs._

 _Sheldon closed the box and smiled at her, looking expectantly, waiting for her reaction. "So...?"_

 _She looked around her apartment to see if anyone noticed that exchange, but apparently none of them seem to be looking at them. She looked back at him and answered, "I see what you mean. They are delicious."_

 _She received another boyish and at the same time smug, smile from him. She wished that he was always like that._

Amy didn't realize how long she's been reminiscing until her phone started vibrating. It was Penny. She shoved her lab coat off and on the hook by the door, took her bag and made her way to the parking lot.

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"Anything new, Ames?" Penny asked while helping herself to some of the chicken curry in front of her. Penny didn't want to press on anything, but her friend seemed to be in another place and was just pushing her food around the plate.

"No. Not really... the holiday break is close. I'm just thinking about how I'm spending this year's... festivities."

Penny felt bad for her. There's nothing more she wants than for Sheldon and Amy to get back together. She knew just how bad the breakup is affecting the physicist, and now, the neurobiologist. She and Leonard planned to have an intimate dinner for Thanksgiving, being that this is their first year as a married couple; however, seeing Amy like that made her think of another way to celebrate the occasion.

"Amy, about that, what do you say about spending Thanksgiving with us? I mean the group, of course. I think Leonard wouldn't mind hosting a small gathering. I can help him cook... you know, If he lets me." She finished, smiling at her before taking another bite of her food.

Amy's face showed hesitation. She sure missed the group, but agreeing to Penny means that she'll be spending that day with Sheldon around. She wasn't sure if she's ready for that, especially after that Saturday, when Sheldon looked... unhappy, when he saw her.

"Hey, I know that look. I don't want to take no for an answer." Penny told her, fixing her with a stern look.

"Penny-" Amy started, but the blonde interrupted her.

"Ames, you two need to find a way to be civil when you're around each other. I think being at the same place on Thanksgiving might help you... adjust."

"We are civil!" Amy said, defensively.

"I know, I know! But you guys can do better than that, and you know it." Penny asked.

"You know how he can be. What if... what if he starts a scene?"

"I don't think he would. And even if, god forbid, he does, I'll take care of him. Seriously though, we are a group. It's been almost six months. You need to try, because we're not letting anyone fall behind just because you two broke up."

Amy knew her best friend was right. They need to work on at least being in the same room without being uncomfortable. They were friends, once, after all. Another thing is that she was touched by Penny's words.

She sighed, "Okay, but can I at least think about it first?" She said, offering her half a smile. Her friend smiled back and nodded. They continued eating; spending the next hour, catching up and Amy found herself enjoying her bestie's company. Her presence took her mind off her worries for a while, which was good, because she really needed it.

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Sheldon didn't want an unscheduled bus ride, but spilling soda all over his mouse the night before left him no choice. Getting off as fast as he can, he huffed as he finally stepped off the vehicle, muttering about germs and how annoying people were. He normally enjoys his occasional visits to Radio Shack; but today was an exception. Not only did Leonard catch flu and couldn't drive for him, additionally, no one else was willing to take over the task.

Walking the short distance to the store, Sheldon made a beeline for the computer accessory aisle. He immediately spotted the one he needs but didn't leave the aisle until he finished rearranging a few boxes that caught his sight. He then walked towards the counter to pay for the wireless mouse he got. He was checking his wallet for his credit card while walking, and when he looked up, he stopped dead in his tracks. Barely two meters away from him, looking at extension cords that were on sale, was Amy.


	8. Chap 8- The Quasi-Mutual Indemnification

**A/N:** Feels... Feels, everywhere.

To **kimbee73,** hello and thanks again for the review! I agree; they seem to be in the same place a lot. Then again, Sheldon and Amy found each other so I suppose that, alone shows how little the world is for two, one-of-a-kind, brilliant minds.

Right; the story…

 **Disclaimer:** None of The Big Bang Theory characters or plot, which is included in this story, is mine.

Chapter 8: The Quasi-Mutual Indemnification

Sheldon was frozen in the middle of RadioShack. He knew that if he so much as make another step forward, she might look up; however, staying still will probably give the same result. He contemplated on backing away and going around the lengthy aisles to reach the counters, but it was too late. As soon as his right foot stepped back, Amy looked up and he was met with the same shocked gaze that was all over his face during that moment. It was as if time stopped during the few seconds that they stared at each other. Neither moved, neither looked away. Sheldon recalled the last time this happened: Leonard darting upstairs and Bernadette, practically running down in haste, leaving them and forcing them to talk. It was awkward and he didn't know what to say then that will cut the meeting short without offending her. God knows, he's already done enough of that in the five years that they were together.

"Uhm... Hi." Amy greeted, timidly. She looked down and back up to meet his measuring gaze.

It took Sheldon a while to let out a quiet "Hello". They stood on their respective spots, glancing at each other every now and then. Amy didn't know what to say or do next. She can feel Sheldon was in the same predicament, but to her, it was more than being clueless about what they should do next that's nagging at her. Now that he's in front of her, she realized how much she wanted to talk to him. Just hear him speak,because she missed him; but a small voice in her head whispered to her _"You broke up with him. You don't have the right to miss him!"_ and she was suddenly filled with guilt. She tried to imagine how Sheldon was feeling and tried to study his expression for a while. She saw a number or emotions in his blue eyes, but what stood out the most is what she can only assume was, _sadness_. She felt the tears that were quickly gathering in her eyes and knew that she had to get out of there fast. As their eyes met again though, selfishness overpowered her. There were a lot of things that she wanted right now and letting go of this opportunity to be with Sheldon, even for a short time, wasn't one of them.

"I was... just about to pay for these," she held a little basket with a few DIY contents in it.

"I was on my way to do the same," he answered, holding up the small box in his hand.

She was probably pushing her luck, but she wanted to savor his presence for as long as this moment might allow. _Don't think that you'd get another chance like this, Amy Farrah Fowler!_ She thought. So with hesitation in her voice, she asked, "May I walk with you... to the counter?" paraphrasing his question, the day he came over after she asked for a break. She offered a small smile, which he returned, surprising the neurobiologist.

"Okay," he replied, remembering that exact same day. _Oh, where had the days gone by?_ He started walking towards her. They walked side by side to the nearest counter and Amy made the payment for the items she got, first. She waited for Sheldon to retrieve his purchase and without any confirmation; they walked out of the store.

Amy started her way to the parking lot, but stopped when Sheldon turned his head to the bus stop. She was confused at first; she assumed that Sheldon was with Leonard and that the experimental physicist probably chose to stay in the car to wait for her ex-boyfriend. _Ex-boyfriend_ , she really didn't like the sound of that, even in her head. He looked back at her and that gave her the idea that he came to RadioShack alone, and most probably, by riding a bus. She glanced down, and sure enough, she recognized his bus pants.

It was unnecessary, but she wanted to hear his voice so much. So to confirm, she asked, "Sheldon, did you ride a bus to get here today?

"Yes. Why else would I be wearing these?" he replied, looking down at his pants.

Trying not to smile at how childish he sounded, she followed with, "Why? Where are the others?"

"Well, Leonard is sick, Penny's still at work, Howard said he had something important to do, which I doubt is true. That left Raj who said he had a date with Emily." He spoke quickly and by the end of his speech, he was scowling.

Seeing how Sheldon's brows drew together, an idea came to Amy. She knew how averse he was to using public transportation. He was clearly upset about having to ride a bus to get there and the idea of having to go the same way to get home will only worsen his demeanor. Before she could stop herself, the offer came out of her mouth. "I can drive you home... I mean, if you want..."

Sheldon was staring at her. He can sense the sincerity of her offer, but he still wasn't sure about how things work between former girlfriends and boyfriends. In all honesty, he didn't want to leave just yet. He wanted to be with her, but couldn't think of how to prolong their accidental meeting. However, he felt that she was only offering him a ride out of being polite. "That's nice of you to offer, Amy, but I wouldn't want to cause you any inconvenience."

She frowned at his answer and responded, "You are never an inconvenience to me, Sheldon."

At her words, he looked at her with eyes, full of longing. He then noticed that his heart started beating faster. Her words rang in his ears; he felt overwhelmed at her simple confession. His throat felt dry; like it would be impossible to utter a word and his eyes began to sting. He just stood awkwardly, not knowing how to respond.

Amy wasn't looking at him as she spoke, but before she looked down, she saw the surprise in his eyes. "I don't know if I've unconsciously given you that idea, but I want you to know that doing things for you never bothered me, the same way that it bothers everyone else. I may complain sometimes, but that was because I felt… unappreciated despite everything that I do. Even then, I was always happy to drive you to places."

 _You never did, actually. You've been more tolerable than I expected._ Sheldon thought. Opting not to voice his thoughts, he answered, "I, well... I'm glad to know. Thank you for the offer. It's just... I do not know what the social protocol is in situations like this."

"Neither do I, but I know you don't like riding buses. You already did that to get here, and you probably didn't feel good after the trip. I don't imagine going back to your place the same way would be any different."

"Are you sure you don't mind?" He was still hesitant. His aversion to buses was slowly dominating his mind.

"Of course, I'm sure." Amy looked at him and he saw the unquestionable determination in her green eyes.

"Alright. If you insist, then," he agreed and they started walking to her car.

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They were silent throughout the whole ride. Sheldon kept looking at Amy through the side mirror; Amy was looking sideways at Sheldon whenever she gets a chance. It wasn't the comfortable silence that they used to soak in when they were a couple, but they managed to go through it the whole time. Amy parked in front of Sheldon's apartment about 20 minutes later.

"Well, here you are."

"Yeah, uh..." he wanted to invite her up to their apartment, but he didn't know under what pretext he should do it with; or if there's even a need for a pretext. Going out on a limb, he shrugged and asked, "Would you like to come upstairs? I can prepare tea."

 _Yes! I would love that! I want to hang out with you and play counter factuals with you and cuddle with you and... and... Just be with you._ She practically screamed in her head, but she knew better than to give in to her desire of being with him. What was she doing? She's the one who broke things off with him. She shouldn't subject herself to this kind of pain. She needs to stand her ground, granted it was already turning into quicksand, still she should. It wasn't fair for either of them. With a heavy heart, she declined his offer. "Thank you Sheldon, but I need to go home, actually."

"Oh," was all that Sheldon could say. Amy saw the rejected look in his eyes and she wanted so much to take her words back. She didn't though. It just wouldn't be fair. They'd both lose if they gave in to this. Lose what though? They already lost each other. More accurately, she already lost him.

Sheldon regained his composure and tried to put on a smile. "Well, I should go now. You don't know what this gesture of yours means to me."

Amy smiled sadly at him. He can see struggle in his expression which probably mirrored hers. "No problem at all. That's what friends are for."

Sheldon's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "We're... I mean I'm your... You're still my friend?" He was surprised, but finally glad he can confirm that they were, indeed, still friends. He was a bit annoyed with how inarticulate his words came out.

"Of course; I mean, only if you want that, too. I certainly do." She looked at the steering wheel, suddenly finding it interesting.

"I would love that!" He exclaimed, answering more enthusiastically than he intended.

"Great. I'm glad." She answered, looking up and smiling; her smile was hopeful.

"Alright. Well, I should probably let you go. Thank you, again."

"Again, no problem."

Sheldon, out of habit, made a move to give Amy a kiss just like when she used to drop him off before. He caught himself in time and stopped. He stepped out of the car quickly and closed the passenger door. Amy noticed his action and was a bit disappointed that he didn't proceed. He bent down and looked at her for a few seconds before calling her name. Hiding her emotions, she turned her head expectantly at him.

"Amy, uhm..." _Are you sure you can't stay?_ was what he wanted to say, but decided against it. "It was nice seeing you. Have a nice evening."

"It was nice seeing you too."

He started walking towards the main door of their building. When Amy had the window up again, she sadly whispered, "And I missed you..." before she started driving again.

Sheldon turned back just in time to see Amy's car pulling away from the side of the street. As he watched the car drive further away, he said with a voice full of sadness, "I really missed you." He shook his head and let himself in.


	9. Chapter 9 - The Cognate Accretion

**A/N:** ShAmy fans, please don't hate me for this chapter. Like I said in the beginning, this just a fiction that I wrote to satisfy my curiosity of how things fell together and reunited Shamy.

ShelVan (I'm going with that), here's more of the two Texans. :)

Disclaimer: I still don't own anything related to TBBT that is included in this fan fiction.

Chapter 9 - The Cognate Accretion

"Sheldon, I got better, two days ago. Don't you think that if you caught what I had, you'd already be sick by now?" Leonard asked, trying to avoid the aerosol that Sheldon just sprayed around the kitchen.

"One can never be sure, Leonard. For all we know, the virus is still airborne in our apartment, just waiting to attack when my armor is down. This is nothing but a mere precaution." The taller man answered, all the while, still spraying the disinfectant around the living room.

Leonard sighed in defeat. There's really no point arguing with the guy when it comes to germs. He's come so far, and now here he was, doing what he always does when someone sick or was sick is around him. He followed his best friends movements under his glasses. When Sheldon finished his task, he walked to his desk and opened his laptop, not caring about the pair of eyes that were on him. His friend was studying him, trying to see if any emotion will show on his face. The lanky physicist still hasn't spoken to either him or Penny about how he feels. Sheldon didn't even say anything about the Vanessa girl. Leonard decided to keep his knowledge of the girl, from Penny. Sheldon didn't like him asking questions about her; he can only imagine how Penny will start firing off questions if she found out. He didn't want to subject Sheldon to that. They didn't push him to talk, knowing that that course of action never leads to anything good.

"Is there any particular reason why you are ogling me?" Sheldon asked without looking up from his laptop, pulling Leonard out of his trance.

"No. Nothing, really. So no plans tonight?"

"Leonard, tonight's Vintage Game night, and unlike you and the rest of the guys, I have no intentions of breaking that routine." He spoke indignantly, finally looking up at him. Everything else in his world feels like chaos, it's only logical that he will want some sense of normalcy; no matter how little.

"I'm sorry, Penny's been busy and tonight is the only time this week that I can take her out. I'll make it up to you buddy, I promise." Leonard says, patting his friend's shoulder as he walks to his desk to retrieve his wallet.  
"It's alright. No need to make it up to me. I have to start accepting that nothing is constant. Also, you're spending time with your significant other, not going to a rave with any of my nemesis. That's not a crime." Sheldon said with a sad voice, that got Leonard turning around from his own desk.

"Sheldon... If you want I can talk to Penny and we can just-"

"Leonard, I'm fine. I can manage on my own. You need to stop worrying too much about me." Sheldon spoke, cutting him off.

"Fine. Well, I'll see you later," answered his friend and with that, Leonard left to pick up his wife.

Sheldon rose and looked around their apartment. He's doing Vintage Video Game night alone. It's not a very inviting thought, but he's done it before. He's confused as to why this makes him sad. Oh, you know it, Cooper! Don't be so thick! You miss your group, he thought. With a sigh, he walked over and pulled out Adventure Island and begun setting up for the night.

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Friday night found Vanessa at home, about to do a movie marathon. She didn't feel like going out with her friends from her major class. She was digging through one of the boxes that was delivered earlier in the afternoon, labeled "Sci-Fi films", when her phone on her table, vibrated. She looked and was surprised to see a message from Sheldon.

 _I need my Crash Bandicoot back, tonight. -S_

Vanessa was confused. She tried to remember talking about that game with him the last time they were together, but she was lost. She realized that Sheldon must have sent her the message by accident. How odd, though, that he will send such text on a night when she just received some of her stuff from Texas that her parents sent her; which coincidentally, included a copy of the very game, Sheldon was talking about. She contemplated for a while if she should respond to his text, when a random idea occurred to her: going to Sheldon's place with her copy of the game and play against him. She tapped her index finger on her chin for about a minute before deciding to grab her purse, jacket and keys. A few minutes later, she was driving to Los Robles.

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One of the many things that Sheldon hate, is when someone doesn't respond to a text message or answer a call right away. It's been almost 30 minutes since he texted Wolowitz to give him one of his games back, but he's still yet to receive, even an acknowledgement that the engineer received his message. "He better have a good reason for not replying," he muttered, dialing said man's number on his phone.

" _Hello. What's going on, Sheldon_?" said Howard, upon answering the call.

"What is going on, wha- Have you been sleeping?" replied Sheldon; his voice, taking in a higher note.

" _No_."

"Are you ill?!"

" _No, Sheldon, I'm not._ "

"Then what is taking you so long to respond to my text message?"

" _What text message? I didn't get anything from you,_ " says Howard, with confusion in his voice.

"No! I sent you," he says, as he pulls his phone away from his ear . He puts it on speaker and started to check his messages. "Here, at 7:15, I sent a message telling you to return my Crash Bandicoot disc. It was successfully sent!"

" _And I'm telling you, I didn't receive any!_ " Exclaimed the man on the other line.

"And I'm telling you _that_ it was sent! 7:15. recipient, Vane- Oh." Sheldon went silent and blinked a few times as he realized his mistake. Just then, a knock sounded on the door and he glanced to where the sound came from.

" _Sheldon? Are you still there? Hello..._ "

"I'll call you back." He hung up and walked to the door, not even bothering to check through the peephole. When he has a feeling, he knows it, and currently he has a strong feeling about who was on the other side of his door. As he opens it, sure enough, the tall Texan girl he recently met was there.

"Hi Sheldon." She greets with a smile.

"Good evening, Vanessa. Listen , there may have been a mistake, see-"

"Oh, I know that. To be honest, I don't know why I didn't just tell you that you sent me the message instead of to whomever it was intended for. I guess it has something to do with the fact that, yet again, I'm spending a weekend at home, alone," she said, cutting him off immediately,

"Well, uhm... Okay, but you don't have the game that I need, so why did you come here?" Sheldon pointed out.

"Hold it! Actually, I do," she says, while pulling out the plastic case that looked a bit old, but still decent. "See, I figured, instead of doing a movie marathon maybe it would be better to beat a brilliant man on one of the most fun video games I've ever played." She finished with a side smirk.

Sheldon's hearing picked up the word beat, more than the rest of her sentence. Vanessa knew she got him when his eyebrows shot up after hearing the magic word. She was sure a man with so many achievements, hated the idea of losing.

"Ha! I'm sorry, you must be high on paint fumes to think that. I excel at most things and one of those is playing vintage video games." He spoke with wide, challenging eyes. Vanessa just smiled smugly at him, which irritated him.

"I'm sorry, too, but I'm going to need evidence that proves you excel in this particular matter," she tells him, waving the plastic case in front of him, back and forth.

That was all it took. Sheldon moved aside to let her in the apartment. "Let me demonstrate then," he says, gesturing for her to come in.

An hour and a half, a box of pizza, and a seemingly endless trash talk later, they were two for two. It was a tight competition, both reaching so many checkpoints before losing all of their character's lives.

"Ready to give up yet, Dr. Cooper?" Vanessa asks, tilting up her head a little and smiling widely at the physicist, who had his brows drawn together in frustration.

"Sheldon Lee Cooper, never gives up. If we have to stay here all night, we shall do so."

"Oh I would hate for you to miss sleep, just because you want to try and beat me."

"I've done it twice, I just need one more, you know!" he says.

"No! Not if I can help it!" Sticking out her tongue at him.

Something in that action irked him even though he knew that she was just teasing. In a quick motion that Vanessa did not anticipate, Sheldon lunged at her and tried to reach for the controller. Instinctively, she leaned back on the other side of the couch and moved the controller out of his reach. It was a little too late for Sheldon to realize how awkward of a position they'll be in because of his action.

Silence enveloped the apartment as they stared at each other. Sheldon was on top of her, while she was practically laying down on the couch. Vanessa felt like she should move away from him and Sheldon thought that he should get off of her. Sheldon moved his sight down to her lips and back to her eyes. That was all it took to consume Vanessa; she raised her head to meet Sheldon's lips. He froze. It was a chaste kiss; it lasted five seconds before Sheldon leaped up from the couch until the back of his knees hit the white chair. Vanessa was startled by his sudden movement. They looked into each others, wide eyes for what seemed like a long time.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that." Vanessa finally spoke, when she could no longer take the silence.

"No, uhm..." was all that Sheldon could say.

"I should go." She got up and picked up her things. She nodded to Sheldon and headed out the door. Before Sheldon could come to his senses, the sound of her footsteps descending the stairs was gone.

He stood, motionless for almost five minutes, before looking at the PS1 on the floor, realizing she didn't take out the game with her. Sheldon slumped down in his spot, still dazed from the recent events. His eidetic memory, not helping as it constantly replays what occurred a few minutes ago. He was confused and overwhelmed by the onslaught of emotions crossing him that moment. What surprised him was the realization that he wasn't even thinking about his mysophobia. The kiss wasn't what he might call repellent; he might even go so far as to say that it felt nice. Nice and wrong at the same time. Shaking his head, he started cleaning up and putting his console away.

Later that night, while in his bed, he was absentmindedly touching his lips. The scene from earlier that evening, was in a loop and he couldn't think of anything else.

He was being claimed by unconsciousness when his phone buzzed and he reached for it. He looked at the screen and sawthat it was areminder for thanksgiving. The screen read, _Thanksgiving at the City Aquarium with Amy._ Adding another item in his already growing list of things to worry about, he read it twice before dismissing it. He clicked the home button which held a screensaver of his ex-girlfriend. All too soon, he finally figured out why the kiss felt both, nice and wrong.


	10. Chapter 10 - The Expedient Probability

**A/N:** Fair warning, I will be using lines from the episode, "The Platonic Permutation" for this chapter. We're getting there folks.

I got so excited and because I already have this chapter, I decided to post it now. :)

About ShelVan, well, I honestly don't want to give spoilers, but I'll just remind you that this story takes place between the Mystery Date Observation and The Earworm Reverberation, which is spread out in a just a little over a month time frame (imagine first week of November to second week of December). With that being said, things that happen in the story are either just days or couple of weeks apart, which means even if ShelVan happens, it will be short lived. So… end of blab. :p

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own the characters, plot and actual lines used on The Big Bang Theory that you can site in this fan fiction.

Chapter 10: The Expedient Probability

It was a few days away from thanksgiving and Sheldon still didn't know what to do with his extra ticket for the City Aquarium. He hasn't asked any of his friends because he wasn't sure which one to ask. All of them were pair bonded and he's the only one without a partner. He couldn't believe how sad that thought made him. Years ago, he wouldn't have minded; he might have even laughed at the notion of him being in a romantic relationship. Now, he can't help but feel incomplete when he remembers that he no longer has a girlfriend. What's more is that even Amy probably has someone during the holidays. She's been out, seeing other people, while he rejected the one person who showed interest in him because of punctuality issues. If he were being honest to himself, he just didn't have the heart to see anyone else, other than Amy. The thought of replacing her was too much for him. He just didn't want to do it.

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"If you can't support me when I'm lying, why are we married?" said Howard, while munching on some rice. His wife just frowned at him.

"Well, I don't understand why you can't just actually go with us? It's about time you give something back to the less fortunate," states Raj while Bernadette was nodding in agreement. Howard was looking back and forth between his best friend and wife. He was trapped between going to the soup kitchen and going to the aquarium with Sheldon. With an exasperated sigh, he said, "Fine. I'll go!"

"I'm sorry, but what about my invitation?" asked Sheldon who was looking at them with confusion and annoyance. He knows that his friends were never excited about the thought of spending time with him, but to display it so indiscreetly while he's in the same room was too much. The sting of rejection - an all, too familiar feeling that he often gets since he was a kid- from his friends, hurt more than he would care to admit.

"Well Sheldon, I am going to the soup kitchen for real now. Sorry. Maybe ask Stuart?" suggested Howard.

"Ugh, not Stuart!" Sheldon blurts out. He wasn't that fond of Stuart, enough to consider him a companion on thanksgiving.

"Sheldon, we're sorry, but we really just have other plans that day. Try asking someone else." Said Leonard.

"Maybe I'll just go by myself. I've been to places on my own before, I don't see how this time should be any different." Sheldon rose from his spot and walked back to his room, not glancing back in case he sees a reaction he didn't want to see, from his friends.

He sat in the middle of his bed, legs crossed. Sometimes he can't believe how rude his friends can be. He's a man with emotions too and can easily get hurt. He's not as indifferent as he used to be. Most days, he can even determine sarcasm and irony; that just annoyed him even more. He was staring at the tickets and was trying to figure out what to do with the other one. They're non-refundable so returning the other one was a lost cause. If Amy didn't break up with him, he wouldn't have such a conundrum. "Now... Who else can I ask..." he murmured, to himself. As if on cue, Vanessa's name appeared on his phone, signaling an incoming call. His stomach suddenly felt funny.

"Hello, Vanessa."

"Hi Sheldon. I was calling about my game disc. Did I leave it in your apartment?" Vanessa said, trying to sound cool. She knew that there will be some awkwardness between them after what happened, the last time they were together.

"Oh, yes. It was still in the console when you left so abruptly last Friday." Sheldon said, not sensing the hesitation in her voice when she spoke.

"Well, uhm... I had to leave before things got more awkward." She spoke with small voice.

"You found that awkward, too? Thank goodness! I thought it was just me!" he almost shouted, sounding relieved.

She was amused and was trying to fight laughter on the other line. Despite of the uncomfortable situation she put themselves in, she couldn't believe how clueless he was about what counts as awkward and what is not. Smiling, and finally relaxing since dialing his number, she apologized and asked tentatively, "Well it was my fault. I'm sorry. Do you think I can interest you in getting something to eat so I can make up for misbehaving like that?"

"What did you have in mind?" Sheldon's interest was piqued.

"I was thinking something Italian. I found this place a few blocks away, they have this pizza that I really liked. I forgot the name, it was..." she trailed off, trying to remember the place.

"Giacomo's!" "Giacomo's?" Speaking at the same time, Vanessa's coming out as a statement and Sheldon's, a question.

"That one!" Vanessa confirmed, beaming, at finding out another thing they both liked.

"When would you like to go?" He asked, trying not to sound excited about the prospect of free pizza.

"Are you free right now? I just finished having my car cleaned. I can drive by your apartment, so that I can also get my game."

"Sounds good to me. I'll see you soon."

"See you in a few." She dismissed. Sheldon grabbed his windbreaker jacket and went out of his room.

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Sheldon and Vanessa went out of Giacomo's and decided to get some frozen yogurt from the store next door. They chose a table at the far left, inside and decided to talk for a little while longer.

"So how's s your Superfluid Theory going?" Asked Vanessa, casually.

"My friend and co-author, Leonard, is working on a few tests, but we're going to have CERN run the theory soon. As you may be aware, that will take a while, and until such time that we get their results, I plan to further my studies about Dark Matter." Sheldon spoke, with his usual enthusiastic response when they're talking about Physics or any Science related topic.

"Well, I hope everything works out good." Vanessa offered, with a smile that always warms Sheldon's insides.

"Thank you. From this point on, all we can do is wait," he said, simply.

After depositing their trash, they walked out of the store and agreed that Vanessa would drive him home. It was a smooth trip, as they kept hitting green lights on their way back to his apartment. When they reached his building, Sheldon remembered his extra ticket.

"City Aquarium!" He uttered suddenly, making Vanessa jump slightly on her seat.

"What?" She asked with both eyebrows, raised.

"Uh... I have an extra ticket for the City Aquarium. They're having a lunch buffet on thanksgiving. Would you like to join me?" He asks timidly, head hanging low while shooting sideways glances at her.

She found him so cute that moment; asking her like a child who wanted to go to the playground. She was about to say yes, when she realized that he said thanksgiving.

"Did you say thanksgiving?" She tried to confirm, hoping she heard wrong.

"Yes. Do you have other plans, too?" He replied, pulling his head up and looking at her.

"Too? Why, who else did you invite?" She asks, feeling uncomfortable, learning that he had asked someone else before considering her.

Not seeing the slightly hurt look in her eyes, Sheldon decided to tell her the whole thing, "Well, originally the tickets were intended for my girlfriend, well ex-girlfriend now, and myself. We decided seven months ago because the tickets were discounted, then. As I understand, it is inappropriate to ask her if she wants to go, given our current association to each other. So then, I asked my friends, but they all had other things to do that day, too." He finished with a little crease in his forehead, showing his disappointment.

Vanessa didn't know about his ex-girlfriend. She had no idea that he was in a previous relationship, apparently not so long ago. He never mentioned anything about his former girlfriend. Now she wonders how many relationships he's been in. What were the other girls like? What's his type? Shaking the questions away, she refocused her attention on his offer. Which she will have to reject.

"Sheldon, I appreciate your offer. I'm really sorry though, but I'm actually flying to Texas on Wednesday for Thanksgiving. My family couldn't make it here so I'm going there instead.

Sheldon was stumped. _Now what?_ He thought, not knowing how to respond. "Oh. No worries, I guess I'll just stay home that day. Leonard and his wife are hosting a dinner anyway."

"That sounds really fun; I'm sorry I can't go with you." She apologized again, seeing the loneliness in his blue orbs.

"It's not a problem." He said, trying to sound reassuring.

"Can I ask you something?"

"You just did, but you may ask another one."

Trying not to roll her eyes, she continued, "Are you and your ex... civil, towards each other?"

"We are. In fact, she actually told me the last time I saw her that she still want us to be friends." He answered, looking thoughtful.

"And do you want to be friends with her?"

"I do. I don't adjust to changes, too well. We started out as friends, so to have that sense of normalcy again is most welcome."

Vanessa considered his words, before making her suggestion. "Why not ask her instead?"

Sheldon stared at her for a while, looking at her like she just asked him to jump in front of a moving car.

"What?" She asked, raising one eyebrow, "You said you're still friends, right? So why not?"

He opened and closed his mouth a few times, trying to articulate a response. He looked away, and she noticed the sadness that crossed his features before it was replaced by a blank face. When he spoke, he sounded cold.

"Because she recently started seeing other people and I don't want to find out whether or not, she'll be spending Thanksgiving with another man."

At his words, Vanessa went quiet and looked away. She felt the tension coming off of him and she felt bad for bringing up the subject. Clearly, Sheldon was still hung up on the woman.

"I'm sorry. Forget that I said anything."

"I can't. I never forget. I have an eidetic memory." He said this like it's one of the worse things in the world. Vanessa understood why; he was probably thinking about the breakup. She imagined how it must feel to remember with perfect clarity, everything that happens to a person. Inevitably remembering every single detail of even the bad memories, when triggered.

It wasn't hard to deduce that Sheldon wasn't used to physical contact when you've observed how he cleans a chair with wet wipes, or how he uses Purell so often. In that moment though, Vanessa didn't know how else to empathize with the man; so pushing any doubts she had, she moved closer to him and wrapped him in a hug.

Sheldon froze at the sudden contact. He couldn't move or speak. He recognized the kind of hug that she was giving him. It's like the one he gave Leonard when Professor Proton passed away. One that means: _I'm here and I care about you_. After almost a minute, he started to relax in to her hold. Vanessa felt relieved that he didn't push her away, and Sheldon felt oddly comforted by her hug. They remained in that position for a while. Sheldon noticed the time on her dashboard that blinked 9:27. He sighed and patted her arm. She pulled back until she can see his face.

"It's getting late. I need to go." He said.

"Are you okay?" She asked, instead of acknowledging his statement. He nodded and she reluctantly released him.

"Thank you for dinner." He gave her half a smile and started to open the door. He was about to say good night and turned his head to where she was, but before either could stop, their lips were on each other's. They quickly pulled apart.

"I was aiming for your cheek! I didn't mean to-" Vanessa started to apologize, but stopped when Sheldon leaned in and kissed her on the cheek.

"Good night, Vanessa." With that, he got out of the car and didn't look back until he disappeared into their building.

It took Vanessa a while before she could give herself a head shake and started to drive again.

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 _You can't possibly be considering this, are you?!_ Sheldon, thought. Maybe he can ask her; he can try.

 _C'mon Cooper! She won't go with you! There's a reason she broke things off, so why do you think she would agree to spend thanksgiving with you?_ He thought, bitterly.

"Maybe I should just give her the tickets. She probably would find a companion." He whispered to himself. That seemed logical. He will just have to find out another time if he can finally gather enough courage to touch a star fish.

Sheldon was sitting on his desk chair thinking about Vanessa's suggestion. He finally dialed Amy on Skype. His heart made a leap, when her face popped on the screen.

"Hi Sheldon, what's up?"

"Well I'm calling because thanksgiving is coming up and I wanted to offer you the aquarium tickets."

"No one can go with you?"

"No, they'd rather spend the holiday with each other than to find out if this is the year I finally touch a star fish. Anyway, I wouldn't want the tickets to go to waste, so take whomever you'd like." He said, with sadness in his eyes that Amy didn't miss.

"Oh. Okay... Thank you." _Time to be bold again, Fowler. It worked the last time; ask him!_

"And feel free to tell your guest, that the Myanmar catfish is also known as the Pilgrim fish; In case the turkey is dry and you need something juicy." Even though he was hiding his loneliness by being pompous, Amy could still see through him. She felt sad that not one of their friends considered going with him. Although she can't blame them, given Sheldon's history of being a walking and talking Encyclopedia. Even in the past, only she can keep up, and even enjoy that side of Sheldon.

"Sheldon, I can tell you want to go. So if you'd be comfortable with it, maybe we could go as friends." _Well, the question's out there now,_ Amy thought, nervous to hear his answer.

"You don't think that would be awkward?" He asked nonchalantly, though inside, he wanted to jump up and down because of excitement.

"Well, it is thanksgiving in an aquarium cafeteria so I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say yes," Amy said jokingly, trying to ease her nerves. "But if you mean, between us. I think it'll be fine." She finished, smiling at him. That seem to assure him that her invitation was sincere.

"Very well, then. I'll see you on thanksgiving morning." Said Sheldon, who was barely concealing his glee that the original plan was still happening. He couldn't believe his luck. He called her just so he can get rid of the ticket without wasting them; but instead, he got confirmation for their original plan to go together.

"See you then." _Keep it cool, Fowler. Don't give away too much._

They talked for a few more minutes before they decided to end the video call. Later that night, Amy lay in her bed, too thrilled about the idea of spending Thanksgiving morning with him. She doesn't know how it will go, but all she's certain about is that she wouldn't have chosen any other way of spending that day. She's going to have to cancel on Penny, though. She planned on stopping by that day to take her up on her offer to spend the festivities with the group. She was positive though that her rejection of her bestie's offer would be well accepted because of her new excuse: A Thanksgiving with Sheldon.

Meanwhile, across town, there was a Theoretical Physicist in Los Robles who slept with a smile that hasn't been on his face for almost six months.


	11. C11 The Platonic Permutation Correlation

**A/N: Thank you so much for all the reviews.** I haven't had time to write back to the others, but I will make it up to you folks soon. I'm working on another fan fiction (still TBBT).

 **Disclaimer** : **(I.)** I still don't own anything related to TBBT that is included in this fan fiction. **(II.** ) I will still be using lines from the episode, "The Platonic Permutation" for this chapter. (III.) The song included in this chapter is not mine, of course.

Okay... Here we go...

Chapter 11: The Platonic Permutation Correlation

"So did Sheldon find anyone who can go with him to the Aquarium?" Raj asked, while browsing through the latest Spiderman comic books.

"He did. He's actually going with Amy. I think it was nice of her to accompany him," answered Leonard who was also scanning the selection.

Howard heard his friends' answer and couldn't help but make a remark, "Nice? Well, that maybe the case, but is that what Sheldon needs?"

"What do you mean?" asked Raj.

"Yeah, what's wrong with Amy going with Sheldon to the City Aquarium?" said, Leonard.

"Well, nothing really; but think about it. Amy has been going out with other people. She has started moving on. Sheldon hasn't. Do you think he'll be okay after this one 'friendly date'? If anything, this will just make him miss her more."

"You think so?" asked his best friend.

"Look, Sheldon isn't like any broken hearted guy. He even keeps things to himself and doesn't like dealing with his feelings; but we don't need verbal confirmation to know he's not over her. He's not doing anything to start the healing process, so to speak." Finished Howard, raising his brows and looking between his two friends.

"He may have a point, dude." Raj told Leonard.

"I'm just saying, spending some time alone with Amy, on a holiday no less, won't help Sheldon get over their breakup." continued Howard.

Leonard was thoughtful. He was considering Howard's words and couldn't deny that he's making a good point. What Raj said next surprised him, though.

"If he's like any other man, he wouldn't have sent Vanessa away like he did. For a man on the prowl as he claimed he was that day, he sure shut the lid on that idea fast."

"Yeah, poor Vanessa," added Howard.

"Wait, wait; Vanessa?" asked Leonard.

"Yeah, man. Sheldon asked us to help him find another potential girlfriend for him. We posted this scavenger hunt ad on Craigslist that apparently got this girl's attention. She showed up at your apartment but Sheldon sent her away because she missed his deadline of 10 PM," answered Raj, giving him short version of the story.

"Mind you, she was hot, for someone who was into nerd stuff," added Howard, who now had a playful smirk on his face.

"Howard, you're married," said Raj, who was looking at his friend with a frown.

"What? I was just stating a fact."

Neither of them noticed how deep in thoughts, Leonard was. _So that's how he met the girl_ , he thought. What was Sheldon doing then, picking up things from her and hanging out if he rejected her, like what his friends said? It didn't make sense. Before he could stop it, he voiced out one of the questions in his head. "Why did he go to her house that Saturday, then?"

"Who went to whose house?" asked Howard.

Leonard didn't know if he should share this information, but given that his two friends were practically the reason why Sheldon met Vanessa, he decided to let them know of what little he knew about the girl. "Well, remember that one Saturday, when Sheldon went missing?" The two men just nodded, urging him to continue, " When I asked him that evening where he went, he just said he went to a 'friends' house. The Monday, following that weekend, we actually had to stop by this Vanessa's apartment because Sheldon was picking up something from her."

"Really? Well that's interesting..." Raj said, patting his chin with his index finger.

"Hang on; tall, blonde, slender girl?" asked Howard.

"Uh... Yeah," answered Leonard, trying to remember the short encounter with the girl in question.

"Well I'll be damned. Didn't know Sheldon had it in him," Howard said, with a surprised look.

"We don't know the full story. Stop imagining things Howard," said Raj, a little irritated with his best friend.

"Look, guys, please don't mention this to Sheldon. I don't know how he'll feel if he found out that I told you guys, something about his meeting this Vanessa."

"Hey, we practically found her for him," retorted Howard.

"Yes, but we don't know what their deal is. He never mentioned anything more about her. I don't even know if he saw her again after that week. You're right, he's still not over Amy, that much is true; but he's still not opening up about that. We're giving him time and letting him come to us if he needs anything," Leonard explained. "I noticed though, that he's become less uptight since that morning we went to that girls' apartment. That's a good thing, so please don't tell him anything. I'm just worried he might revert to the sad, quiet version of himself. He's been better and if this Vanessa is the reason why, then I'm more than happy to keep my nose off his business."

"He's right, dude. Let Sheldon be," Raj said, in agreement to Leonard.

"Hey, I care about Sheldon too. I'm just curious, is all," Howard said in defense.

"Whatever, just don't ever bring this up unless he mentions anything," said Leonard with finality.

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Sheldon braced himself in front of the lobby door, before stepping out. It was thanksgiving and he was about to go to the City Aquarium with Amy. He closed the door behind him and spotted Amy's car, with her looking down on her phone. He let out a breath and started walking towards the car. He tapped the glass window to get her attention, still following his knocking ritual. Amy just smiled at him 'til he was done and motioned for him to come in.

"Hello," he said.

"Hi. Ready for the aquarium?" she asked, giving him a smile.

"I am," he answered, flashing a charming smile to her. "And in an effort to reduce awkwardness as we learn how to function as friends, I printed out a list of safe topics for polite conversation.

"If that makes you more comfortable," she said, trying not to sound amused.

"If there were a list of things that make me more comfortable, lists would be on the top of that list. Okay, now, oh, since last we spoke, have you acquired any pets?"

"No. You?"

"No," he said, pursing his lips and looking at the next item on the list. "Um, since last we spoke, have you planned or gone on any vacations?"

"I might go visit my aunt next week."

"Mm. Your aunt in Modesto?"

"No, the one in Bakersfield."

"Bakersfield. I see. Where has this list been all my life?" he exclaimed.

Amy just smiled while driving. Sheldon went on with the list, but they weren't even halfway to the aquarium when he realized there were only two more questions left on his list. He started to panic. He wanted to keep talking; then hear her speak and see her smile as much as he can. He decided to abandon the list for the mean time, and started going on with the weather for the past month. Amy didn't enjoy his citation of the daily temperature in California. She knows they can do better than that, but she allowed him to continue, afraid he'll stop talking altogether if she tells him that. When he was done, he reached for his list again, but before he could finish asking the next item, Amy had had enough so she decided to cut him off.

"Sheldon. We've known each other a long time. We are perfectly capable of having a conversation without relying on a list off the Internet."

He blinked a few times, holding the paper mid-air, "All right. Well, what should we talk about?"

"I don't know. Just ask me whatever comes to mind."

 _Well, she called it,_ he thought. "Very well. I know you've been seeing other men. Have you had coitus with any of them?"

 _Well, I wasn't expecting that,_ she said in her head. Before she can stop it, she said, "Man, I walked right into that one."

 _Nice going genius. You could've asked her something else! Now she's uncomfortable,_ he berated himself internally. They remained quiet for a few minutes. Sheldon tried looking at her a few times, gauging if she will answer or not. When ten minutes passed and she was still just looking ahead, he spoke, "I'm sensing things have gotten awkward."

 _This is exactly what you were trying to avoid; talk Fowler!_ she thought. "No. It's okay. If we're friends, we should be able to talk about anything."

He was trying to read her expression, but as always, he fails. He gave up trying, "All right."

"So, you had some questions about me seeing other people."

"Just a few," he confirmed.

"Go ahead," she responds.

With her resigned permission, his questions came out before he can choose which one to ask first, "How many dates have you been on? Who were they with? Where'd you go? Where did you meet them? Did you sleep with them? And how much longer to the aquarium? I'm getting kind of hungry."

Amy had to clear her head to understand the series of questions he shot at her. After about a minute, she answers all of his queries. "Let's see. I have been on six dates with three different people. It was either for coffee or dinner. One I met at a bookstore and two I met online. I haven't slept with anyone. The aquarium is 40 minutes away. And there's a baggie of Cheerios for you in the glove compartment."

At her mention of Cheerios, all thoughts left his mind. "Is that regular or honey nut?"

She smiled at how boyish he looked when he asked her. "I mixed them," she replied with a suggestive grin.

Sheldon gave her a smirk and said, "You mixed them. No wonder gentleman callers are pounding down your door." He took some of the Cheerios and started munching on them, "Do you have any questions for me?" he asked after clearing his mouth of the snack.

She hesitated asking him any questions that might make him uncomfortable. She doesn't know for sure, but somehow Sheldon looked more... fragile. She went with a safe question, "Just one. Are you doing okay?"

He was enjoying the snack too much and he didn't notice how serious her question was so he just said, "I am."

"Good. I want you to be happy." she said, not realizing that the man didn't fully grasp the intensity of that one question.

"I believe you. I'd believe you more if you threw a few Apple Jacks in here," said Sheldon.

She just shook her head and smiled. _We're going to be just fine,_ she thought.

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The pair spent the first hour looking at the different aquatic life that the City Aquarium had and decided to go to the buffet afterwards. Amy almost lost her patience when Sheldon started going on and on about not getting Pilgrim hat, but she still eventually got him to calm down. They decided to walk around and view the rest of the aquarium. Sheldon proposed to play his new, aquatic-themed game which she happily accepted.

"Well, I'd befriend SpongeBob but he's not real, so I can't do that, can I?" Sheldon asked.

"But you can pal around with a hagfish?" she retorted, raising her eyebrows.

"Hey, let's not pull at that thread. Okay. I'll fight SpongeBob, because he's so friendly we'll just end up tickling each other. Um, I'll befriend the seal, because he's trainable, which is the problem I'm having with my current friends. Which means I'll have to eat the hagfish."

"Isn't that gross? I mean, a hagfish can produce enough mucus to fill a bucket in a minute," she asked, making a face.

"I know. It makes its own gravy, it'll slide right down," he replied casually.

While still a little grossed out, she considered his logic to be valid. She smiled and looked thoughtfully at him. She studied his features like one a specimen under her microscope. He hasn't changed much since the last time they were on a date. His hair was just a tad longer, and his figure showed the slight change in weight. He was less stocky than before she broke up with him. She felt a little guilty, thinking it was probably because of that exact reason why he lost weight.

He felt her eyes on him. He pretended not to notice as he studies the glass aquarium in front of him. He didn't even know what species of fish he was looking at. He was just keen to let her look at him and feel her presence near him. He glanced at her quickly, flashing a smile, then looked back at the sea creatures swimming in the tank. She felt a little ache in her chest at how genuine his smile looked. It was the same smile that she knew was reserved for her when they visit the zoo, the aquarium or the train store. An appreciative smile that says 'Thanks for coming with me, when the rest of the people around me thinks what I like is a waste of time'.

"I miss this," she confessed.

Sheldon, thinking she was referring to the game, which they had never played before said, "How can you miss a game you've never played before, silly?" He then proceeded to the next tank.

"I guess sometimes I'm silly." She whispered. He called it Vulcan hearing because it made him feel like he belonged to the world of Star Trek; but whatever it was, it allowed him to hear her quiet statement. The way she said those words made him realize that she might not be referring to the game at all. He wanted to turn around and look at her, but he opted to pretend that he didn't hear it. If he was analyzing the situation correctly, there was only one thing he wanted to tell her in that moment: _He really missed this, too_.

The rest of the day went by like one of their usual days when they were going out. They discussed topics and talked about what each other has been busying themselves with for the last few months. It felt nice; comfortable; natural. Around 2:30, Amy announced that she needed to drive them back so she could make it to her mother's house for dinner. Sheldon relented without putting up any argument. Truth be told, he didn't want their day to come to a end, too soon; but he knew that her spending the morning and part of her afternoon with him was already more than what he deserved. They were just friends; he kept reminding himself.

As he watched her drive away from their building, he let out a huge breath that he didn't know he was holding. He smiled and thought of the day. Everything went smoothly. There were a few awkward moments, but nothing that they couldn't salvage. He had a wonderful time with her. If this is what having her as a friend again would be like, then he's fine with it. He can live with having her as a friend. He felt so much lighter after today. With another long, drawn breath he shook his head and thought, _We'll be fine. We're going to be just fine._

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Amy was a bit distracted throughout dinner; a fact that did not go unnoticed by her mother. She dismissed her questions asking about what the matter was by saying she just not feeling well. Her mother offered some medicine, but she declined and said she just needs to rest. Her mother allowed her to go home after dinner without further questions, which she was grateful for. In the car, she kept shooting glances on her phone; deciding whether or not she should go with her decision.

After dropping Sheldon off, her mind wouldn't stop going over the day she just spent with the man she broke up with about six months ago. She kept trying to tell herself that she feels different because of being with him today; that this was nothing but a side effect of bonding with him after not seeing him for a long time. As she drove to LA, she was in a battle with herself; having a hard time choosing between standing her ground and admitting that she wants to get back with Sheldon. She still loves him, and boy, did she miss him!

Now, as she made her way back to Glendale, she finally made a decision. She wants him back. Finally willing herself to tell him, she couldn't wait any longer, so she dialed his number and made the call while driving. He answered after the third ring.

"Hi, Sheldon. I'm just driving home from my mother's," she started casually.

"Did you have a nice time?" he asked, trying to make polite conversation

"I did. Um, listen, I really enjoyed spending this morning with you," she said, her voice cracking a little because of nervousness.

"Well, I can't take all the credit. It was pretty funny when that one anchovy started going the wrong way," he said, missing the tension in her voice.

 _Here goes_ , she thought, "It was. Uh, listen, I, I was thinking that, um, maybe I'm ready to be your girlfriend again,"

He could imagine hundreds of reasons why she called him right now, but that wasn't one of them. He didn't know how to respond. "Oh. I thought we were just friends."

"We are. But I was hoping, maybe…"

Didn't he just give up any chances of being with her earlier? Didn't he just decide to be content with having her back as a friend? His mind was working frantically. He didn't know what to tell her. He's spent so much energy trying to get over her the past six months, and now, just when he was finally being comfortable with the idea of not being in a relationship with her she drops this bomb on him? He felt conflicted. He loves her and in reality, being her boyfriend again is something that he wants badly. So what was stopping him? Was he not ready? He didn't want to think about it now. The matter needs some serious consideration before he can make up his mind.

Before she could say anything, he decided to cut her off, "Amy, I excel at many things, but getting over you wasn't one of them. I think I need to just be your friend."

She was taken aback. She kept thinking about how she felt that she didn't even consider if he wanted her back. Did she really just assume that Sheldon would gladly accept her with open arms? She knew how much damage their breakup had caused him. She even saw the physical effects of it earlier. She felt horrible, but she knew breaking now while he's still on the line is not a good idea. "Okay. I understand," she responded, trying to fight the stinging in her eyes.

Sheldon will never be good at detecting people's feelings through their tone. He didn't realize how broken her voice was when she responded. Not wanting to discuss the matter of getting back together any further, he said, "Good. Oh, I watched a video of the hagfish producing mucus, so I'm gonna change my answer and eat SpongeBob."

"Okay. Sure," was all she can say.

Sheldon was relieved that she wasn't saying more about her attempt at being his girlfriend again. It wasn't until he heard a sniff that he realized she was crying. He wanted to say something but before he even ask to confirm is she was crying, she told him she needs to go because it's getting late and she still has a while to drive. The line disconnected. Leonard and Penny were looking at him with sad eyes; pitying eyes. He didn't need that. He got up and said, "I'm retiring for the night. Happy thanksgiving." He made his way to his room.

Meanwhile, Amy was finding it harder and harder to breathe because of the tears that she was fighting back. When she felt that it was too much that she couldn't drive anymore, she pulled the car to the side of the road and finally broke down. She didn't know what to expect when she decided to tell Sheldon that she wants to be his girlfriend again so she didn't anticipate the biggest rejection she could ever get from him. She leaned her head on the steering wheel and cried for a good thirty minutes before she could compose herself enough to drive the rest of her way home.

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It was late but he couldn't sleep. Sheldon was staring at his ceiling, thinking about the events of the day. A couple of months ago, if Amy had offered to get back together with him, he would have accepted right away. What was wrong with him? He loves her. He's in love with her. She's the only woman he's ever loved. So what on earth is going on in his head that he rejected her so easily? He was getting frustrated. She was crying. He didn't need to ask to know that she was crying before she hung up. _Haven't you hurt her, enough already?_ So much for being a genius _, What the hell are you doing, Sheldon Lee Cooper?!_ he screamed in his head.

His message tone sounded and he looked at his phone on his night stand. _Please let that be Amy_ , he hoped. It was a message from Vanessa.

 _Hi Sheldon. I hope you had a good Thanksgiving celebration. I had fun with my family; I didn't realize how much I've missed them. Hope to see you soon. xo_

He was suffering from a headache at this point from having too many thoughts at the same time. He sighed and closed his eyes. _Let go_ , he thought as he pressed on the call button.

" _Hello? Why are you still up?_ " she asked, surprised that he called.

"I should be asking you the same question," he replied, forcing his tone to sound livelier.

" _Well, you know how Texas gatherings go. My folks invited a few people over and the celebration went a little longer than expected. So here I am, just now getting into bed,_ " she explained.

"Do you want to go to sleep now?" he asked.

" _I could spare a few minutes. What's up?_ " she replied. When he didn't answer after a minute, she knew something was wrong, so she continued. " _You want to talk about it?_ "

He was a bit surprised that Vanessa could tell that something was not right with him, but he didn't really want to share what happened. He wanted to clear his mind right now. He wanted a distraction.

"Did you know that when the telephone was invented, 'Ahoy' was the first choice for when someone answers a call?" he asked.

" _Interesting. I think I like the sound of that. Ahoy,_ " she responded. She realized that he didn't want to say anything about what was bothering him. If all he wants is a friend to talk to, she'll be more than happy to be of service.

"I do, too. I'm kind of upset that it didn't catch on,"

" _Did you know that a group of crows is called a murder_?" she asked.

"No. That's interesting... and fitting, given what crows have been deemed by most people," he said. He was starting to feel a little lighter; his headache was becoming more tolerable.

" _I know, but crows aren't that bad,_ "

"You're talking to a man who has ornithophobia, so I wouldn't know," he retorted.

" _How many phobias do you have?_ " she asked, intrigued and concerned at the same time.

"Quite a few, actually."

She giggled and they were quiet for a few minutes.

" _Are you okay, Sheldon?_ " she asked, careful not to make him feel like she was prying.

"No," was all he said.

" _I see,_ " she dismissed.

Neither talked for a while, just listening to each others breathing over the phone. Vanessa decided to do something that her father would always do to her when she was sad or not feeling well when she was younger.

" _Smile though your heart is aching, smile even though it's breaking"_ she started the song.

Sheldon felt his chest tighten a little. The words of her song getting through him.

 _"When there are clouds in the sky, you'll get by; If you smile through your fear and sorrow  
Smile and maybe tomorrow; You'll see the sun come shining through for you_" she continued.

It wasn't until Sheldon felt wetness on the outside of his ears that he realized he was crying. The tears kept rolling down the sides of his face as he listens to Vanessa.

" _Light up your face with gladness  
Hide every trace of sadness  
Although a tear may be ever so near  
That's the time you must keep on trying  
Smile, what's the use of crying?  
You'll find that life is still worthwhile  
If you just smile_"

He sniffed, and Vanessa realized he was crying. She wanted to stop, but she didn't know what she would say if she did, so she continued singing.

" _That's the time you must keep on trying  
Smile, what's the use of crying?  
You'll find that life is still worthwhile  
If you just smile_"

" _My dad used to sing that to me a lot when I was a kid,_ " she told him.

"You have a nice voice," he said.

" _Thank you. I think so too,_ " she said, smiling at her own remark. Despite himself, Sheldon felt the side of his lips pulling into a smile, as well.

"Vanessa,"

" _Yes?_ "

"When are you coming back?"

" _My flight is tonight at 8, so early Saturday morning._ "

"Will you go to the zoo, with me?"

" _When?_ "

"How about lunch time, Saturday?"

" _Okay. Sure,_ "

"I should let you sleep now. Thank you for taking my call,"

" _Are you feeling better?_ " she asked, hoping that she was able to lessen whatever it was that was keeping him down.

"I am. Sleep well, Vanessa," he said.

" _You too, Sheldon._ "

"Oh, Vanessa, wait," he called, before she could hung up.

" _Yes?_ " she asked, curious of what he needed to say.

"Happy thanksgiving," he said, sounding a little sheepish. Vanessa just laughed and they ended the call. A few minutes later, sleep finally came for Sheldon.


	12. Chap 12 - The Looking Glass Obnubilation

**A/N:** I apologize for the late update; but thank you so much for the reviews! You people are awesome! I believe I've replied to most of you, except those who doesn't have an account. I love hearing your feedback; and speaking of feedback, you know I am SO close to relenting to your wishes and breaking my promise of making this a SHAMY fic. I'm glad that my writing seems to be effective since, unconsciously, I have created a character that people loves. Honestly, I hoped that her role on the show lasted like Dave; but, alas, it did not. I am not making any more promises, **BUT** I will make sure Vanessa would not suffer. I can tell you that much. I have a plan. That being said, I will now introduce you to my version of Vanessa Bennett.

To that guess who said this sucked badly, could you please be more specific. I'd like to know what it is that I need to improve on. Your comment was rather, vague. :p

Another apology: I do not have a beta reader, so any grammar lapses and misspelled words in any chapter that I have posted and will post is all on me. I apologize and hope that the errors aren't so bad that it hinders you from understanding what I'm trying to say.

Okay, sorry about the long note. On with the story...

* * *

Chapter 12: The Looking Glass Obnubilation

Vanessa woke up, earlier than she intended, considering how late she turned after last night's celebration. The smell of pancakes and bacon wafted up to her room and she smiled. She cleaned up quickly and made her way downstairs to help her mom, prepare breakfast. When she got to the kitchen, her mother was almost done with the spread she made for that morning. It has been a while since the family of four ate breakfast together.

"Morning, mom!" She greeted. It was reciprocated with a warm smile and a small hug from her mother.

"You're up early. I was thinking whether or not I should wake you up," her mother said.

"And miss breakfast with you and Pop? You're hilarious mom!" She quipped, feigning shock.

"We miss you, kid," came from a voice behind the pair. Her dad walked in the kitchen, beaming and bearing those pair of eyes that projects kindness all the time. She didn't realize how much she missed those.

She walked over to him and wrapped her arms around his torso. She was tall, but her dad was a giant. She and her brother got their height from their father. Their mother was as tall as she is, give or take an inch, so their family was pretty intimidating when they walked in public together.

Her brother arrived a few minutes later and the family shared the meal that the matriarch prepared. They spent the better half of the morning, just bonding and telling stories from the past few months while their kids have been away. Vanessa was giddy to hear all about her brother's stories from New York. Apparently, one of the screenplay he wrote got the attention of a Broadway producer. This was always how their mornings used to be, the family sharing stories about their day and sharing laughter here and there. This simple way of living in the ranch, with her parents is something that she still missed from time to time. Whenever she feels lonely in the Pasadena, she just reminds herself of why she left in the first place. But she was happy at the moment; no need to relive those memories right now. She will soak up her family's presence while she was here.

* * *

Around 2pm, Vanessa decided to go visit the stables and feed some of the horses. She then went around to sit under a sycamore tree; a tree that has always been her go-to place when she wanted to unwind or just be alone. She sat on the scarce grass and read a book that she brought. She was reviewing for one of her graduate classes. The calming breeze, and the cool grass beneath her getting the best of her, making her doze off. She awoke after about an hour to find her brother sitting next to her.

"Hey, Vinny," she greeted, groggily.

"Hey, _Vanie_ ," he joked back, making air quotes.

"Did Pop send you here to fetch me? What time is it anyway?" she asked, straightening her blouse and sitting a little more upright.

"Nah, he didn't. I just wanted to catch up. Ya know, since we didn't have time yesterday," he said, wringing his hands a little.

"Uh-huh.. Sure," she said, narrowing her eyes at her brother.

"What? I really just want to ask how you are," he replied, defensively.

"Fine. You're lucky that I actually missed you a lot," she stated, feigning sternness and pointing a finger at him playfully.

"Right. Like I didn't miss you like crazy," he said, leaning back at the base of the tree, closer to her sister. "Seriously, though, how are things?"

She considered her brother's question. She knows it hold more than just asking about her well-being. She was contemplating about how she can answer her brother's question to his satisfaction. "Well, things at graduate school are goin' good. Lotsa work, but I'm enjoying myself; even met a few people that I get to hang out with every once in a while," she finished.

"Good to know; good to know," he replied, thoughtfully. He then turned his head to his sister and studied her. She just stared back, narrowing her eyes a little.

"What?" she asked.

"How are you?" he asked again. Vanessa knew what he was actually asking about. She was not in the mood to revisit that topic.

"Vincent,"she warned, turning her gaze away and looking out to the open field.

"I'm just worried about you. It's been a year since he left and almost five months since you moved to California. Other than that unfortunate night when I had to pick you up from the local chapel, you never talked about it," he said; still looking at his sister.

"Didn't you consider that maybe it's because I don't want to talk about it?" she retorted, her voice sounding harsh.

"He messed you up, you know," her brother spoke sadly.

"What are you going on about?" she asked, a little annoyed.

"Of the top of my head? Well, you used to smile a lot. Now you still do, but your smile never reaches your eyes no more,"

"Vincent, it's thanksgiving and we haven't seen each other in a while; is this really what you want to discuss with me before we go back to our separate lives tomorrow?" she asked angrily. She was trying to make her brother see how she's not ready to talk about being left alone by the guy she loved since high school. She thinks it was still too soon; she feels like she might have a breakdown if she goes down that path.

"No; but Vanessa it's not right to keep it all locked up. How can you start moving on when you're not letting go completely?"

She had had enough. She knew her brother just cared about her, but she would not allow him to bring her back to that moment in her life that she'd happily erase if she could. She stood up and looked him down with pleading eyes which made him sit up.

"Vince, I'm sorry. I can't do this. I.. I just can't. It's still too hard to talk about it. It's... it's..." she trailed off, failing to choose a word that best describes how she feels. Her brother stood from the grass and hugged her.

"I'm sorry. I won't push you anymore. I'm sorry," he whispered to her, while stroking her hair.

"I still miss him, Vinnie..." she said quietly. She didn't want to shed another tear for the man, but if she were being honest, her words were true. She still missed the guy who broke her heart.

"I'd be more surprised if you said you don't," he told her. He pulled away to see if she was crying. He was glad when he saw no tear on either eyes. "No more questions about that. I'll let you come to me when you feel comfortable. Just keep in mind that I'm here when you need to talk to someone. Just call me anytime, time zones be damned," he ordered.

"Well I know that. And you say it like I ever even cared about time differences," she replied, giving her brother a small smile.

"You're right! There's no point," he said, laughing at her. She joined in after a few beats and they started walking. Her arm was around his waist, while his arm remained around her shoulders.

"So how are you and Philip?" asked Vanessa.

"We're doing fine, actually. He'll be done with graduate school in a few months. After that, he'll be moving in with me."

"Does Pop know that you already asked him to live with you?"

"Are you kidding? He's the first one that I told when I started thinking about it!"

"I am hurt, brother! You didn't tell me first?" she asked, acting shocked.

"Oh please; spare me! Mom already tried that," he said, laughing again.

The two made their way back to the house and decided to take their parents out for ice cream before heading to the airport. Their flights were only an hour apart so their parents drove them to the airport instead of calling a cab. Hugs and kisses were exchanged that evening before they went their separate ways again, wishing nothing more than being able to spend the next holiday with each other. Their mom half joked, telling them they should just stay till Christmas, but understood that their kids are now living and following their dreams.

* * *

"That went well, didn't it?" Catherine asked her husband. They were close to their home now, coming back from the airport to drop off their children.

"I'll say," he said, nodding his head a little. "I think Vanessa's holding up well, too. I was afraid that she might go back to her old self before she left, the first time."

"I think it helps that she's finally doing Biophysics," she mused.

"I agree," he said, as they pull up in front of the barn next to their house. He stopped the truck and went out. He quickly walked to the other side to open the door for his wife; something that he never fails to do, even before they were married.

Walking around to the front porch, they noticed someone sitting on one of the rocking chairs near the main door. It was a man, clad in Navy uniform with a huge bag by his feet. The man noticed the approaching couple, and stood up. He removed his cap and went down the few steps to the grass-covered ground. Richard clenched his jaw.

"Mr. Bennett, Mrs. Bennett," greeted the man, nodding his head to each.

"Brent," he said, through gritted teeth.

- **A/N** : This is just a bridge chapter. I will work on the Zoo chapter next, by Thursday. Sorry folks, gotta complete some office load before I go on off for the Easter weekend.-


	13. Chapter 13 - The Earworm Stimulation

**A/N:** Apologies for the delay.

 **Disclaimer** : I still don't own anything related to TBBT that is included in this fan fiction.

Chapter 13: The Ear-worm Stimulation

Brent Matthews is a 3rd class, Petty Officer in the US Navy. For the past year, he's been out of the country, moving from one country to another. Their troop never spent more than a month in one place. He's been in service for at least 5 years now. A few months before the last time he went abroad, he was about to ask his girlfriend to marry him, because he thought he wouldn't be sent anywhere else anymore. The following week after he bought a ring, he received a military order in the mail. He was devastated. He didn't want to go back to service anymore. He lost his best friend in one, unexpected encounter with rebels while in the sea. The incident affected him more than what the people around him knew. He couldn't recount the story, even to Vanessa, when he came back. He saw a shrink before heading back to Texas then, so he wouldn't look like hell when he faced his friends and family. The fear consumed him and at one point, it almost broke him too.

He needed to go on this mission; but he didn't want to leave Vanessa anymore. Not after how he saw what losing a person's other half was, in the eyes of his friends' fiance. The choice between the people he love and the country he loves was weighing him down. Having little time to make the decision, he told Vanessa to go to their favorite place in town; a small chapel near the plaza. The day went in a blur; he didn't know how he managed to break it off with the only woman he loved. He broke things off; thinking that leaving Vanessa like that would make it easier in case something bad happens to him. In case he dies while doing what's right, in the eyes of his country. He sacrificed their relationship, with the hope that he would spare her of the crippling pain she might go through if he never comes back. Little did he know that it wouldn't be that much different. He didn't know until after that day, how it's like to live like a dead person.

Just a few months after he rejoined the Navy, his commanders noticed the changes in him. As time passes, he was being less responsive and have proven to be ineffective with the usual tasks he did the first few years that he was with the team. Things did not get better; no matter how hard he tried to forget Vanessa, he couldn't do it. The more he tried, the more thoughts of her entered his mind. That picture of a broken person that he left inside the chapel that day kept haunting him. Eventually, he was relieved of his duties.

Choosing not to hear any news about Vanessa, he didn't know anything about how equally hurt she was. He didn't know anything about the devastated girl he left who had cried each night, asking, thinking what went wrong. The girl who didn't know what really happened. He didn't know the impact of what he did until Vanessa's father hit him in the face; it wasn't until when he was yelled at to never show up again; it wasn't until he found out that Vanessa no longer lived in Texas, that he knew just how much his leaving affected her. She left. The girl who gave up offers from Universities around the country because she loved her family, her little town, so much; finally found a reason to leave.

Brent did not know where to start, but he knows he needed to make things right. He needed her back in his life. There might be little, to no chance of that happening with the way things are looking up, but this is Vanessa; and he's not giving up unless she asks him to. Right now, there's one person he needs to talk to: Vincent Bennett.

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"Sheldon, what are you having for lunch?" asked, Penny. Sheldon looked up from his laptop to see her pulling her hair up.

"Oh. I appreciate you asking, but I will be heading out to eat lunch elsewhere," he told her. He then refocused his attention to the article he was reading.

"Having lunch with Raj?" Penny inquired.

"No," he answered, not looking at her this time.

"Oh. Well, I'd say Howard but I know they're with Bernadette's parents right now," she said.

"Penny, I hardly think my companion for lunch is something that you should concern yourself with," he said, looking at her friend again.

"Fine. I was just asking," she said, holding up her arms in way of surrender.

Sheldon turned his attention back to his laptop. "In fact, I don't recall saying I'll be going out with anyone," he added. Penny considered that; she remembered Sheldon did go out alone, once in a while.

"Okay, well I'm picking up lunch. Leonard should be back in a few if you need a ride," she said. Sheldon turned his head in time to see the door close behind his friend. He looked at his watch which told him it was five minutes after 11 o'clock. Vanessa was late. He got up and wore his jacket. He figured since she was already late, waiting in his apartment will only cause more delay because then, he'll still need to go down the stairs; he decided he will wait in front of the building instead.

At 11:13, a honk from a car pulled Sheldon's attention from his phone. It was Vanessa. He walked to her car and gave her a puzzled look.

"Hi Sheldon," she greeted, just as he was about to get inside the car.

"Hello. Why are you late?" he asks, not letting her get away easily.

"Oh, I uh, had to run some last minute errand," she replied, offering a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.

Sheldon looked at her for a while, slightly narrowing his eyes. Reading facial expressions will forever baffle him, but he could sense that something was off. He couldn't point out what it was, so he decided against giving her a lecture about punctuality. That's when he realized that music was playing in the car. He looked at the dashboard in time to see the words 'Beach Boys' cross the screen on the music panel. Vanessa followed his gaze and noticed that he was looking at the screen with a puzzled look.

"Do you know the Beach Boys?" she asks.

"No," he answered simply.

"Oh. Well I love them. They're one of my favorite bands."

"Don't you think listening to music while driving is a bit distracting?" he asks, thinking about the numerous times he's never allowed music in any car that he's in.

"Well, no. Not really. Besides, it's not like I'm listening to metal. Beach Boys have some of the most feel-good music out there," she explains.

"They're an old music group, are they not?"

"Yes, they are. But their music will forever live on."

 _If you should ever leave me_

 _Though life would still go on believe me_

 _The world could show nothing to me_

 _So what good would living do me?_

Sheldon tried to listen to the song playing. It was _God Only Knows._ He found the lyrics too sad to be deemed a 'feel good' song. It just reminded him of Amy. "I'm sorry, but how is this song supposed to make anyone feel good?"

Vanessa held that 'deer caught in the headlights' look; she didn't want to tell him about why she was really listening to her old playlist. "Well, not this particular one; but I'm playing the whole album, so I need to play it too."

Sheldon thought that made sense. If the songs all belonged to one album, and if he were in the mood for this sort of music, he'd play the whole thing too. He just nodded and tried to pay attention to the view out his window as they drove to the zoo. A few more songs played but he chose to ignore them and instead he started googling the latest news about the zoo.

 _I was livin' like half a man_  
 _Then I couldn't love but now I can_  
 _You pick me up when I'm feelin' sad_  
 _More soul than I ever had_  
 _Gonna love you every single night_  
 _'Cause I think you're too outta sight_

Vanessa started humming along with the song and that bugged Sheldon. _It was bad enough that she had music on board, now she's humming too? God forbid she starts whistling soon,_ he thought. She then glanced at him and noticed he was listening with a slight frown. She stopped humming and gave him an apologetic smile. That straightened the crease on his forehead. He smiled and shook his head, amazed at how she can easily tell when he's not happy about something. Intuition? He wish he had that, maybe then, he would've known when Amy was upset. He looked ahead and then away to hide his face, but they were at a red light and Vanessa saw the sadness in his eyes before he looked out the window.

"Do you want to talk about it, now?" she asked.

"No," he replied, simply.

She nodded a few times and let out a breath. "Okay. Whenever you want to," she stated, just looking on the road.

"I..." he began, wanting to decline but instead he just said, "Okay."

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Sheldon all but dragged Vanessa along as he made his way from one habitat, to another. It has been a while since the last time he went to the zoo and he actually felt the weight he's bearing, lighten as they observe wild life in their man-made home. They finally got the the part of the place that housed the koalas and Sheldon just melted inside as he watched the gray bears munch on leaves.

"Don't you just love how cute they are when they're eating?" Sheldon asked, in a daze, still looking at the koalas. He didn't get a response so he looked at Vanessa. He noticed how she's not looking at anything in particular; just ahead. It was like she was looking at something that only she can see. "Vanessa?" he tried again, gently patting her arm.

That seem to pull her out of her trance. She looked at him, confusion clear in her eyes. She didn't hear anything that he was saying until he touched her arm. "I'm sorry, Sheldon. What were you saying?''

Sheldon's no expert on the act of comforting people. Time and time again, it's been proven that he's almost incapable to making people feel better when they're down. He's done it a few times, but he wasn't even aware he was doing anything helpful until Amy confirms it. Just like any other time, this was no exception; so instead of commenting on her state he just repeated what he said. "I was just talking about how cute the koalas are when they're eating."

"Oh. Right, yes. They really are," she responds, giving an unconvincing smile. She felt guilty about not paying more attention to this trip because her mind was somewhere else. She kept thinking about the message she received that morning from her brother.

 _He's back in Texas and asking about you. Just thought you should know. -V_

Who else could his brother be talking about? She knew it was Brent. Why was he asking about her? He ended things with her. She didn't know how to respond to her brother so she just ignored the message after staring at it for almost fifteen minutes. Sheldon was just looking at her and he was growing more and more worried.

"Would you like to sit down for a minute? You don't look fine," he said. She looked up to see the worried face of her companion. She knew that she had to compose herself fast; he didn't need to be subjected to her foul mood. He's going through something too, and wanted her company to probably keep his mind off whatever it was, bothering him. She needs to try harder.

"I'm fine. Although, we haven't had lunch yet. Would you like to grab a bite?" she asks.

He narrowed his eyes at her, but seeing an out of having to try comforting her, he gave up. "I can eat," he said. With that, they made their way to a small restaurant to get a late lunch. The rest of the afternoon went by faster than either of them wanted. They both needed the distraction for reasons they didn't want to voice out. When they were on their way out of the zoo, Vanessa offered to take Sheldon home. It was only quarter to five, so instead of accepting, he asked if she was already doing something for dinner. She honestly didn't have any plans so she asked if he wanted to go somewhere to have dinner. He opted out of eating out, but suggested picking up some take out and taking it to her apartment instead. He wanted to play some video games, reminding her that they never finished their game the last time. She happily agreed; not wanting to go back to her empty, lonely apartment.

* * *

"Well, well, well," Sheldon started, "Looks like someone owes me an apology," he says, smirking at her. They just finished playing and he won.

Vanessa just rolled her eyes and took a spoonful of the chocolate cake they brought home. "That's one game Dr. Cooper. I'd like to see you win at Halo," she challenged.

"Well you better get ready for the taunting of your life, because there's no way I'm letting you beat me at Halo," he declared. He then picked up his plate and finished his serving of cake.

"Would you like some tea?" Vanessa asks.

"Do you have any green tea? I've had too much pizza, it will help my digestive system," he answered.

"Sure, just give me a moment," she said and rose to head to the kitchen.

She went back with a tray, laden with some brownies and their tea. Sheldon was looking at one of her shelves, particularly, her movie selections.

"It's still a bit early, do you want to watch a movie?" she asks.

"Sure," he agreed.

"Have you seen Stardust?" she asks, joining him by the shelf and looking at the DVD's inside.

"No, what's that movie about?"

"Well, in a nutshell, it's about the love story of a long lost, prince and a woman, well actually a star, that landed on Earth," she replied.

Sheldon scrunched up his nose, not at all interested in seeing a chick flick. "Nuts to that, what else you got?"

Vanessa just laughed at his reaction and browsed through the line of SciFi movies she had. She picked one and held it up. "We can always watch Clone Wars," she offered.

"Now you're talking," he said, walking over to the couch and reclaiming his seat on the far left. Vanessa plopped the disc in the player and sat of the other side of the couch. They watched the movie, commenting every once in a while on particular scenes. About halfway through the movie, Vanessa's phone rang, her screen displaying an unknown number. She picked it up and excused herself to her room.

" _Hello_ ," said a man's voice, that even in a sea of people, she can pick out. Suddenly, her tongue felt numb. It's been almost a year since the last time she heard his voice. The sound sent chills down her spine. It was like hearing a familiar, but frightening tune.

" _Hello? Is this Vanessa?_ " Brent asked again. All she could do was to try to steady her breathing. She was on the verge of a panic attack and didn't know what to do. She pulled the phone away from her ears and pressed the speaker option on the phone; she couldn't bring herself to hang up. After a few more seconds, Brent spoke again.

" _Vanessa, it's Brent. It's okay if you don't want to talk, but please don't hang up. I know you think I've got some guts to contact you after what I did, but please, give me a chance to explain. I messed up real bad, and I know I probably don't deserve it, but please... hear me out_ ," he begged. Vanessa could tell he was fighting the urge to cry. She can hear the crack in his voice. She still didn't feel like she could talk. Blinking away the tears that had gathered in her eyes, she picked up her phone and ended the call.

Earlier, it was just her mouth that felt numb; now it's her entire body. She slumped down, beside her bed and held her head in her hands. The tears came faster than she wanted them to. She sobbed so hard, breathing was starting to become a task. In the other room, Sheldon could hear the sound of her crying. He got worried so he got up and walked to her bedroom door. He hesitated in front of it, not knowing how to handle a crying female. This happened to him before, but Amy was there to tell him what to do. He was contemplating going in or just waiting outside until she comes out; however, when he heard her sobbing louder, all doubts went out of his mind. He went through his knocking ritual and turned the knob when he got no response. He slowly opened the door to find Vanessa on the floor, by her bed. She didn't look up, but her sobs became softer.

"Vanessa? Are you okay?" _Really, Cooper? Did you really have to ask that?_ he thought. He didn't get a response, so he walked in and stood in front of her for a while. She still wasn't looking up and he could tell she was still crying by how her shoulders were rising and falling. He decided to sit down next to her. He crossed his legs and just looked at her.

"Is there anything I can do?" he asked her. She shook her head and Sheldon was glad to finally get a response from her. "Would you like me to leave?" he asked again. Another shake of her head. He was confused, but figured that he should just stay there; not do anything, but just be in her presence. He allowed her to cry some more and after a few minutes she stopped. She looked up and saw him looking at her.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable," she said.

Sheldon looked around the room and spotted a box of Kleenex on her night stand. He reached over her and handed her the box. She wiped her tears, but some were still rolling down. They sat in silence for few more minutes. She turned her head to look at Sheldon and he looked back at her.

"Sheldon, will you do me a favor?" she asks.

"That depends; what's the favor?"

Instead of answering, she got up on her knees and held his cheek. Before he could ask what she was doing, her lips were already crushing down on his.

xo


	14. Chapter 14 - The Cognizance Track-way

**A/N** : Forgive me for the delay, but here it is. I apologize for any grammatical or spelling errors. I lack sleep and might still miss a few things no matter how many times I proofread this.

 **Disclaimer** : I do not own anything related to The Big Bang Theory; I just want to write about them...

On with the story...

Previously...

 _"Sheldon, will you do me a favor?" she asks._

 _"That depends; what's the favor?"_

 _Instead of answering, she got up on her knees and held his cheek. Before he could ask what she was doing, her lips were already crushing down on his._

 **Chapter 14: The Cognizance Track-way  
**

Sheldon did not know what to do; he didn't know what was happening. One minute Vanessa was crying, and now she is kissing him so hard it was almost painful. This was a first for Sheldon and his mind went blank. His attention was all on the lips that are crushing his like how one who hasn't eaten for a while would. Her hands were on him, one combing through his hair, while the other was on his back, moving up and down. His were planted on the carpet, not really sure what to do with them. Reason was nowhere to be found in his head. Vanessa was sucking his bottom lip and the action made his heart hammer in his chest. She went on to kissing his jawline, down to his neck. Sheldon had his eyes closed and his breathing was ragged. The unusual sensation coursing through his vein was pleasant and exciting; but at the same time it confused him. Vanessa was now back at kissing him, begging for him to part his lips. _Why? What is happening?_ he asked in his head. _Let go. Amy did, so why can't you?_ a voice in his head told him. _No, no..._ At this point, he was having an internal battle. Then his mind conjured the thought of that guy kissing Amy when he was about to propose. He slowly opened his mouth and she didn't miss a beat. She took advantage of the opportunity he presented. Vanessa moved her hand along his arms up and down while the other was still holding the nape of his neck. He was breathing hard and couldn't register how her tongue was caressing his lips. He thought he should be grossed out, but was amazed to find that he's not.

"This is nice," Vanessa breathed on his mouth, pausing to catch her breath. Her words made him remember other times he was kissed. That awful kiss from Leonard's mother; Amy's drunken kiss; Amy and Penny kissing him all over the face; Amy during date nights. Their fifth anniversary make out session; and lastly, their train kiss. Then he heard her; Amy saying ' _that was nice_ ' after he kissed her for the first time. His eyes shot open and he was suddenly aware of what was happening. Vanessa was holding him close, and was now kissing him again. His arms were still at his sides, his hands, palms down. He gulped and held her by the arms. He tried to push her away, but Vanessa thought the movement was because he was finally giving in. He tore his lips away from hers and tried to stop her.

"Vanessa," he pleaded. She just kissed his neck again and tried to tighten her arms around his shoulder.

"Vanessa, stop," he pleaded again, but to no avail. When she tried to reclaim his mouth, Sheldon pushed her away harder and that's when she realized what he was trying to do. She looked at him, horrified about what she just did.

"Oh my god," she moved back and sat down covering her mouth with her hands. "Sheldon I am really, really sorry," she said in between sobs. He was looking at her, panic-stricken and really confused. What was he supposed to do now? He looked around the room, but couldn't come up with anything to tell her that will make her stop crying. He doesn't even understand why she was crying again.

"Vanessa," he said, but this time, with worry in his voice. He moved closer and attempted to pat her but thought against it. He was really at lost. _Why wasn't I more equipped to deal with weeping women?_ he thought angrily. He sat beside her and just looked at her. When he could no longer take it, he decided to pat her shoulder and said the only thing he could think of, "There, there"

Vanessa's sobs stopped. For a moment, Sheldon thought he upset her and tried to scoot away, but then moved closer again and rested her head on his chest and wrapped her arms around him. The position only reminded him more of Amy and that time she practically begged for him to comfort her. He just felt bad remembering that night. It makes him feel bad all the time. There's just so many things that he could've done better with Amy, but didn't. So much for being brilliant minded. He rested his cheek on top of her head. They remained like that for a while, no one dared to break the silence. Sheldon eventually wrapped his arm around her, too.

"Her name is Dr. Amy Farrah Fowler. She's working at Caltech right now, but she used to be with UCLA. She's a neurobiologist, you know, people who study yucky, squishy stuff," he said, laughing as he finished. He just looked ahead, replaying the first time he met Amy and the days that followed that. All the texting, Skype-ing, emailing and the dates that followed after the first four months, after Penny's insistence. He missed those days.

"She likes monkeys; I like them too, but she's more into them. She dresses modestly, but I've always liked her style. Her hair is the color of mud and has always been straight, see she doesn't usually make a big deal of spending too much money or time on improving her looks. Some may taunt her, but honestly, I don't see what's wrong with that. She's perfect, just the way she is," he said, regret dripping in his voice. He never had the chance to tell her that when they were a couple. "She tried, I think, several times in an attempt to get my attention. At the time I thought she was just being silly. I never needed her to dress up. Her brilliant mind, paired with her humor and her bright green eyes... really those are enough to get my attention. I guess I just failed to show her that she's always been enough," he continued sadly.

Vanessa finally detached herself from him and looked at his face. He had a sad smile and a distant look. He was obviously remembering his times with the woman in question. She felt sad for him. He looked like a sweet guy, but she had her hunch that he wasn't the type who likes showing emotions. Based on how much he didn't like to share what's been bothering him since Thursday, she was surprised that he's talking now. He looked up at her and she nodded, urging him to speak again.

"I took your advice and asked her to go to the zoo with me. Well, not at first, but she offered to go with me so I agreed. We had a good time; it was like when we were just starting to get to know each other. I thought 'well that went well', I can live with just her friend if this is how things will be. At the end of the day, I got a call from her. She told me she was ready to be my girlfriend again."

"What did you tell her?" she asks.

"I said I just want to be her friend," he said, looking down and sighing.

"Can I ask why?" she asks again.

"I honestly didn't know why at first. But in hindsight, I think it was because I got scared. She's my first girlfriend; my first kiss; my first... love," he reveals.

This was probably the biggest surprise to her. He's handsome, brilliant and an altogether nice guy. How he never had another girlfriend was beyond her. She tried to hide her astonishment, but it was futile because her mouth got the words out before she could filter her question, "So you've never been with anyone else before? Like at all?"

He looked at her with furrowed brows, confused why she was repeating what he just said. "Yes," he answered.

"So, forgive me for asking such a personal question, so she's the only one you've ever... you know, done it with?" she asks, curiosity getting the better of her.

"What do you mean done it with?" he asked, tilting his head to the side.

Vanessa didn't know if he was feigning innocence, but thought why he would do such thing, so she elaborated, "You know, sex?"

Realization dawned on him and he looked away, shame covering his features. He didn't know the conversation would take him to a place where he had to deal with that matter. "I've, I've never even done it," he said, emphasizing the word 'it'.

Her eyebrows shot up and she had to hold her breath for a few seconds at his revelation. He's at least in his mid-thirties, she figured and he's never had sex? This was shocking. Then, she remembered what she just did to him and guilt filled her. She moved away from him and started muttering words of apology. "Oh, god, Sheldon I am so, so, sorry! I didn't know, I.. I'm sorry!"

"Exactly, you didn't know. How would you know a 35 year old guy has no experience on physical intimacy. It's not your fault. Well, partly not, but stop apologizing, please," he tells her.

That seem to ease her guilt a little so she moved closer to him again. "Can I ask you something?"

"I'm all ears," he tells her.

"How long were you with this girl?"

"Five years,"

She felt like she shouldn't let him see just how shocked she was about the bombs that he kept dropping on her. She decided to continue her questions instead. "So... how come you've never done it? Was it her choice?"

"No. Believe me, we didn't have coitus but it was never for her lack of attempt. She hasn't been with anyone either," he said.

"Wow. Do you have any idea just how precious that is? You could've been each others first! Were you his first boyfriend too?"

Sheldon winced at her use of the word 'should've', "Yes. I was her first at everything too. Well, except for coitus," he tells her.

"Why do you keep calling it coitus? That makes it sound... clinical. It's nothing like that, I guarantee you. And you haven't answered why you've never had sex."

"You know that's awfully personal, right?" he asks her.

"Well... Fine. Okay. Never mind then," she answers.

"I've always had reservations about coitus. A mysophobic man like me isn't exactly thrilled about the idea. We've kissed, not like how you were kissing me earlier, but every time we do, it's like there's nothing around us. It was like the ground was melting but I couldn't care less as long as I'm kissing her," he says, dreamily. Something that she's never seem in him before.

"Sheldon. that is so sweet," she says, smiling at him.

"I've never told her that. I've said I love her, but I've never honestly revealed how I feel about her," he said, sadly.

"Sheldon?"

"What?"

"Why don't you give your relationship another try?"

"I'm afraid," he said, shaking his head.

"Of what exactly?" she asks him.

"Of everything. Of letting her know about how I feel; of messing up again and her leaving me for good. I can never be sure. I mess up a lot. Brilliant as I may be, as a physicist, I just can't function like a normal boyfriend. And that scares me a lot," he tells her, pleading with his eyes for her to understand. "I can never go through losing her twice if that happens."

And there it was. He was finally able to voice out why he chose not to get back together with Amy. He felt exposed. He brought his legs to his chest and wrapped his arms around them. Vanessa felt like she was looking at a child. A very frightened one. She leaned her head against the side of her bed and was thoughtful for a moment. She didn't want to push the subject of convincing him to get back together with his ex.

"My first time was scary, but wonderful," she mused, thinking back to the time she first did it with Brent.

"Your first what? Trip to the playground?" he asks, not sure what she was referring to.

"No. My first time being physically intimate with the guy I love," she tells him.

"Why are you telling me this?" he asked, tilting his head a little and feeling a little uncomfortable.

"I'm just trying to let you know that it's not as bad as you may think," she says, looking at him. "When you do it with someone that you love, I guarantee you, it's the most amazing feeling ever," she continues.

"Well... I don't know," he replies.

"Do you love her?"

"More than how much I love my spot." he states.

"Your what?" she asks, not sure what that 'spot' is.

"Not important," he dismisses.

"Okay so if you do, you need to know that if she loves you, just as much as you love her, then there's no need for you to be afraid of letting yourself go,"

"Here we go again with that 'letting go' nonsense," he says, hoping she would change the subject.

"Just think about it, Sheldon. Okay?"

"Fine," he relents.

Sheldon got up and held out his hand for her. He was worried that she'll start crying or talking about uncomfortable topics again so he asked her to get more tea and finish the movie they were watching. They went back to the living room and he offered to make the tea this time, telling her about how he always provided hot beverage to those who are in distress. Distracted from everything that happened, he realized he never got to ask her why she started crying earlier.

"Vanessa?"

"Yes?" she replied, still looking at the television.

"Why were you crying earlier?"

She looked at him and saw his concern. _Dealing with emotions is too much to handle for this man,_ she thought. She didn't know where to start the story; or if she even wanted to tell him about it. Given though, that he told her about his ex, that should share hers too. Just to ease his mind a bit because she can see that he was actually worried about her, too.

"Well..." she began, letting out a gust of air before continuing. "That was my ex boyfriend. He hasn't contacted me for almost a year and now he was calling me."

"And this guy, calling you made you...sad?" he asks.

"Sad, angry, hurt, miss him again, really it's a combination of a lot of things. I guess you can say I was overwhelmed, which is why I broke down," she answers. "Hearing him again... after a long time of not hearing anything about him felt like I fell, head long into a pool of ice water,"

Sheldon just nodded, not sure how to respond. "What did he want from you? Was he asking to get back together too?"

"I don't know. I never got to hear what he wanted. But I guess that's what he's planning to do. Try to fix his mess. Us,"

"How do you feel about that?" Sheldon asked her. He felt like he was getting a pretty good lesson at caring about other people's feelings by asking Vanessa about her problem.

"I honestly don't know. I am mad and I barely just started the healing process. See he left me, without saying anything. Without any excuses or reason. I was a wreck. That breakdown back there? That was nothing compared to how I was for a few months after he broke things between us," she tells. "Looking back, I'm not proud. I've put my parents in a horrible situation; dealing with a broken girl like me. It's like when I was a kid, only worse."

"I'm sure they didn't mind. My meemaw always does that for me. She takes care of me when I'm hurt, which I don't have to tell you, was often." he said.

"Yes, I suppose they didn't mind. They're my parents. They care. He didn't. After more than a decade of relationship, he threw away everything," she says sadly, a tear rolling down her cheeks.

"Oh. Don't cry. Uh... there, there," he says in panic. He didn't mean to make her cry again. Vanessa smiled at his attempt at comforting her. He was so adorably clueless about things that comes naturally to others, like empathy. She wipes her tears away and smiled at him. He was confused again; one moment she was crying, the next she was smiling like she just heard a something funny. _Women are baffling,_ he thought as he looks at her with furrowed brows. He wanted to know how she's planning to handle the situation, which was a little like his; wondering if she will take a leaf out of her own book and give the guy another chance.

"Are you planning to hear him out if he calls again?"

"I don't know if I'm ready to see him again. But I guess it's better if I could at least confirm what he wants, so yeah, I think I will," she said.

"Do you still love him?" he asks, out of nowhere.

She was caught off guard by his question. Does she? She thought there was no point in denying it anyway. And after all the honesty Sheldon has shown tonight, it's the least she can do. "Yes," she answered simply.

"Alright, so to quote you, 'why don't you give your relationship another try'?"

"Because I'm still in pain. I don't even know what seeing him will do to me if just hearing his voice caused a breakdown."

"Aren't we just the luckiest when it comes to relationships?" he asks sarcastically.

"Hey, I thought you have problems with sarcasm and irony?" she joked.

"Well I have been getting better," he replies.

"Really?" she asks.

"Well, I haven't mastered it yet," he says grumpily.

"We both have some things to think about," she told him.

"We do?"

"Yes. You with your Amy and me with Brent. We can deny our feelings for them as much as we want, but I don't think it will change anything," she answers.

"I don't know... what if I already missed my chance when I declined her last Thursday?" he said, voicing out his fear.

"You're a scientist, right?"

"I'm a Theoretical Physicist, but basically, yes. I don't see how that's relevant here," he answers.

"Of course it is. Stop hypothesizing and start testing your theories!" she exclaims, making him move away from her on the couch. She laughed at his reaction and reached out to pat his arm. "It's all up to you. You don't need to do anything that you don't want to. Just make sure you're being honest with yourself," she finished.

"And you're going to do the same?"

"You know what? I will. I have reservations but I think I will. It's the only way to move forward," she said, holding her head up a little higher.

"You have a point,"

"Of course I do. I may not be as brilliant as one Dr. Cooper, but I'm smart too," she says, tapping her temple with one finger.

"I never doubted that, otherwise I wouldn't be here talking to you at," he looked at his watch, "Dear lord it's already past midnight!" he shouted.

"Seriously?" she asks in disbelief. She didn't realize how late it was either. "Okay, let's go. I'll drive you," she tells him while moving around the living room, looking for her keys.

"Are you sure? I mean it's late and you're a woman and," he stopped at the menacing look she gave her at his comment. "Let's go then," he said and she smiled triumphantly.

They headed down and out of her building. They went in the car and Vanessa started the car, together with the Beach Boys' playlist she had on earlier playing again. Sheldon was still not happy about her playing music while driving.

"Not that music again," he all but moaned when the words started coming out of the stereo.

"Oh stop it. Their music is great. And did you know that Brian Wilson, who wrote majority of their songs was considered a genius in the music industry," she said with pride.

"Of course I don't know that. I don't like their kind of music,"

"Well he was a legend. It's sad that the industry lost him to mental issues. He kept getting auditory hallucinations. He was diagnosed with some serious mental disorders,"

"Maybe he was one of those musicians who became addicted to illegal substance," he mused.

"That might be true, but that doesn't make him any less of a legend," she retorts.

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The drive to Los Robles was short as there were barely any cars on their way back to his apartment. When she pulled the car in front of his building, he didn't go out of the car right away. He looked at her instead and tilted his head to the right. "Are you okay now?" he asked.

"I'm feeling better. Thank you for everything today," she answered. "How about you? Will you be asking this Amy for another chance?" she asks.

"I haven't decided. There are things to consider and who knows if she'll still take me after I shot her down," he said.

"Well, let's just hope for the best. And remember, be honest with yourself."

"I never forget," he says, smirking and tapping the side of his head with one finger.

"Alright, alright. Now go; it's almost 1 am now."

"Thank you for going with me to the zoo," he said.

"You're welcome," she replied, flashing a sweet smile. She gave him a quick hug which he returned and went out of the car. Vanessa stayed until he was inside the building and started driving again.

Sheldon went in 4A as quietly as he can. He didn't know if Penny and Leonard were in the apartment, but the need to confirm it became unnecessary when Leonard went out of his room just as he was about to open the door to his.

"Sheldon?" he asked groggily. Leonard looked at his watch and was surprised to see the time. "You just got home?"

"Leonard, why must you keep on stating the obvious all the time?" he asks in annoyance.

His roommate just brushed off his question and asked, "Where have you been?"

"I was with a friend. Good night, Leonard." He closed the door, leaving his friend in the hall with raised eyebrows.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

When Vanessa got home, she went in her room and retrieved her phone. She typed a message telling Brent to give her another call when he's available. She contemplated for a few minutes before sending it. Not a minute passed and her phone started ringing.

"Hello, Brent."

xo


	15. The Ear-worm Reverberation Exploration I

A/N: So apparently this will be a two-part conclusion... Here's the first one.

Disclaimer: Nothing that belongs to The Big Bang Theory, included in this fiction, is mine. They all belong to the creators and producers of the TV show.

Chapter 15: The Ear-worm Reverberation Exploration I

Monday morning, found Vanessa in one of the benches lining Griffith park. The talk she had with Brent over the phone, early last Sunday ended with her agreeing to meet him. He said he'll fly to California anytime she wants. She honestly didn't care too much about his attempt at impressing her. If that was his intent, then she definitely wasn't affected. Her words to Sheldon were true. She had to somehow move forward instead of running away from the ghost of her past. She figured the sooner she deals with it, the better, so she challenged him to be in California by Monday morning. He was more than willing to fly out. While waiting for the said man, her thoughts were on what happened last Saturday night. She broke down in front of an, albeit nice, stranger, then jumped on him out of desperation to cover the sadness that followed. Not knowing that the guy has no experience on physical intimacy. She still feels embarrassed about what she did to him, but she felt that she found a true friend in him after being transparent with Sheldon. That was another thing that she still couldn't believe; the uptight, Physicist opening up to her. They have only known each other for a month, but she feels close to him. Like she can be honest with the man about anything. It's refreshing to know someone in that way. Coming to LA is proving more and more of a good decision as months go by and meeting Sheldon only made things better. In Texas, she's always kept herself away from a lot of people who could've been her friends; choosing to stick with her brother and Brent for company. She knew people, but never allowed herself to be close to anyone else. Her thoughts were interrupted when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked up and had to hold her breath at the sight of Brent. He looked different, and not in a good way. He has dark circles under his eyes and he looked thinner than the last time she saw him. He looked so different than the youthful guy he used to be, but it was his smile that almost made Vanessa want to cry. Despite the changes in his physique, he still had the kindest smile the same smile he wore when they're together.

He walked around her and asked if he could sit next to her. He sat down and set his bag next to him at his feet. Vanessa didn't want to stare at him but couldn't help but do just that. She planned to remain as cold as possible during their meeting, and it's proving harder and harder stick to her plan the longer she look at him. If it weren't for his eyes, she would think that he's about ready to lose consciousness. He looked frail.

When she couldn't look any longer, she diverted her eyes to the people passing, jogging or walking their dogs. She had to steady her breath. The muscled man with the boyish features was nowhere to be seen today. His brown eyes were the part of him that's giving off sense of familiarity. Despite of everything that happened over the past year, her facade of being a cold hearted person was quickly melting away. She felt that it wasn't fair and that she had to regain control. He's the one who wanted something from her, he's the one who asked to see her. Shouldn't he be talking by now? Minutes slipped away and neither one spoke.

"Surely you didn't fly all the way from Texas to sit on a bench," she said, coldly. Brent looked sideways at her and she saw it through her peripheral vision. She didn't look at him. She knew she'd get lost in his eyes if she did. Letting all her effort of getting over him will be all for naught if she allowed him to get to her.

"No. Not really," he started, looking away. "You look well. And you cut your hair," he continued.

"Thank you for stating the obvious," she replied, sounding harsh. She wished he would just get to the point. Not in the mood for pleasantries, she willed herself to look at him and tell him to get on with whatever he wanted to tell her. "What do you want to happen here exactly?"

"What do you mean?" he asked with sadness in his eyes. He was a bit hurt by the accusing tone she used. He reminded himself that she had all the right to be mad at him; that whatever doubts she have of him, it was his fault.

"I don't want this meeting to take longer than necessary. Tell me why you're here so we can move along," she said. She looked away and let out a sigh.

Brent looked ahead of him and tried to think where he should start. There's so much that he wanted to tell her, but with the way she's treating him right now, he feels like he should choose his words well. If this was the only time she'll allow him again to talk to her, he needs to tell her the most important thoughts he had.

"I just got back from Samoa last Friday. My commanders sent me home. They tried to pass it off as having enough men in the troop, but really I know I have been nothing but a liability since I rejoined them," he said, looking at the ground. Vanessa was surprised to find out that he actually went back into military services. She had no idea that he left to join the Navy again. She looked at him and was drawn to his hands which were balled into a fist; his knuckles were white. She had the sudden urge to reach for them and straighten out his fingers, but decided against it. Thankfully, he didn't notice it.

"I went back a week after... well, after what happened to us," he continued. "I couldn't tell you because I didn't want to go back; honestly, I was afraid."

"You're not making sense. And am I supposed to take that as an excuse for what you did?" she asked him. Vanessa did not like what he was talking about. None of his words are connecting in her brain. It doesn't justify his actions about their relationship. Or what they had, for that matter.

"I am very grateful that you agreed to see me today. I'll try not to waste more of your time, so all I ask is for you to let me tell you what happened. However you react, I'll accept it. Just give me this time to talk," he pleads.

"That's acceptable," she replies. She crossed her arms and looked at him expectantly. "Go ahead."

"Thank you," he said. He looked up and watched the clouds above them move for a few beats before speaking again. "That time I got home; the one when we thought I wouldn't be sent back again, I was not the same person. I don't know how much you noticed, but I was in an awful place that time. I drew happiness and positive energy from you; forcing myself to keep that picture of the guy you love, loved," he corrected, "the same in your eyes."

Vanessa's eyebrows drew together. She didn't notice much difference, as she recalls their days together after that trip. Whatever he tried to hide, he did it well.

"Do you remember Philip?" he asked.

"Your closest troop member? Yes," she replied when he nodded.

"We've always been together in my 5 years of service. You can say he was my best friend." He smiled sadly at the thought of his friend. He drew a long breath, knowing the next few minutes will be rough. He had no idea how she would take any of it, but if he was certain about something, it's that she needs to find out everything.

"Was?" she asked, starting to get confused.

"Yes. He's gone. He died during an incident in the sea. We had to fight off rebels in one of our trips across the Pacific, and..." he paused, trying to recount the story he's tried so hard to forget. "The last of the rebels rounded us up and we were losing a hand at this encounter. I saw an opening to my left where one of our arsenals was located and tried to crawl towards it as discreetly as possible," he continued. "I almost got there, but one of them spotted me." At this, he closed his eyes. He was trying to calm himself, not wanting to break down in front of Vanessa, lest she thinks he's just being dramatic to get her attention. But he wasn't looking at her. He didn't notice how her features are slowly turning from that of confusion, to one showing fear.

"Then what happened?" she asked. This made him look at her again. He searched her eyes, trying to find something that he couldn't figure out.

"I... I was reaching over to open the arsenal when it happened. Everything happened in a flash, yet in my head, it was like someone hit that slo-mo button and made me see everything from a front row seat," he said with grave humor in his tone. "One minute I was reaching for guns, the next moment Philip was running towards me. He jumped and caught the shots that the rebel fired." He recounted with eyes closed. Vanessa caught her breath and had to look away to take in what he just said. He was almost killed. Almost. If it wasn't for his friend, she probably wouldn't have seem him that summer at all.

"I watched in horror as his body plopped a few times when he fell... The man who killed him, he didn't stop right away. He let another round of shots and... and... I couldn't move... I was staring like an idiot at Philip's body. His lifeless body... where blood was spilling from the holes that the bullets made." Brent was now breathing hard, he was keeping himself from crying. He didn't want to let her see him in that state. After all, isn't that part of why he left her? But it was getting harder and harder to breathe and he was only halfway through his tale. He needs to go through this. Today is not just about apologizing to the woman he loved, but also about letting everything go. It's about not letting what happened to stop ruling his every day life.

"It was the most awful experience. It left me screaming each night, it occupied my mind when I'm awake. No military training prepared me for the shock. That was the first time I came face to face with death. And I wasn't even the one he took. It was a beloved friend. He... he tried to save me and he died in doing so." He held his head in his hand. "I had to see a shrink after that. Everyone was sent to recover but I had to go through a different recovery. I saw the therapist because for the first few weeks after the incident, no one could barely get a word out of me. I was told that I would stare blankly at whoever approaches me. It was a part of my life that I couldn't remember well. My mother knew about it and somehow through everything, I still managed to protect you."

"Protect me?" Vanessa asked.

"From knowing how broken the guy you loved had become. I wouldn't want you to deal with someone like me in that state. I asked my mother to keep the information from you. I got better, and thankfully I didn't have to tell you anything when I got back. It wasn't just to shield you from the person I've become after what happened. Partly it was because I didn't have the strength to even talk about it without curling up into a ball of mess," he told her with pleading eyes; begging for her to understand. "I'm a man and one encounter with death broke me beyond repair. My wish for you to never find out only became more solid when a week before I went home, I saw Philip's fiance and saw how much pain his death brought her. So when I got another order, my fear took over me and I thought 'I couldn't do that to her'. Not knowing how long the next trip will take or what will happen along the way, I broke up with you," he said with regret dripping in his voice.

"I thought it would be easier for you to live without me. I thought if something were to happen to me, at least you'll be spared the kind of pain that will make you want to kill yourself too," he started again. "I don't know how it affected you, but I know that in the process I must've broken you too. Because not too soon, I realized that breaking up with you was more awful that any bad experience I've had put together. I was useless at work. They sent me back because I was being more of a liability than an asset. I didn't know what I was doing until it was done," he finished, no longer able to hold his tears. He sobbed quietly, hands gripping his knees so hard, his knuckles were white. "Leaving for a mission had always been hard; but the time I did it after breaking up with you was the worst one. I was on autopilot the whole time I was in service. It's as if my mind built a defense mechanism, choosing to think of our good times together instead of facing the reality. I'm sorry Vanessa," he said, looking at her with a pained look she knows too well.

Brent was a man who opts out of showing his emotional side as much as he can. Being raised in Texas, manliness was all but brand-ironed to boys born in a southern family. Showing softness of any kind is frowned upon by the elders. So to see him cry was an oddly fascinating view for her. It was doing all kinds of things to her. Couple that with his story and her armor was already melting away. It was too much information to take in; she can imagine how badly the experience scarred him. He's always been open to her in the past; he's always been blunt about his thoughts and now she finds out he's kept a lot of things from her? Not to mention, they were life-altering.

"I'm sorry I gave up on us that easy. I didn't want to but fear consumed me. I became a coward and I threw away everything in a snap; not thinking about how you'd take it. Not considering that you will suffer to. I'm sorry for everything that I've put you through Vanessa. I'm sorry," he almost whispered because he was now shaking from the silent tears that were escaping his eyes. "I love you and I didn't want you to see the broken man that I've become but I've already kept a lot from you. You deserve to at least know what happened. I love you-" He stopped because just then Vanessa scooted closer and hugged him. He was stunned, but as the minutes slip by, he was starting to melt against her.

"Vanessa..." he said, trying to figure out what is happening.

"Shhh..." was her only reply. He allowed his tears to fall until he can no longer cry. Neither of them moved. Not when the sky started getting dark; not when the thunder started; not when the rain started falling. She never let go of him and he clung to her arms like a lifeline. Feeling each others presence next to each other. They were soaked in a matter of seconds but they didn't budge.

"I won't ever let your demons hurt you again. I'm never letting them," Vanessa said, rubbing his back absentmindedly. At her words, more tears fell across his cheeks. The couple remained seated in the same bench, throughout the uncommon rainstorm; reassuring each one another that they both have each other again. No further words was needed that night as Vanessa got up, held out her hands and made their way to her car. Not when they arrived at her building and rode the elevator to her apartment. Not when she led him to her room. Not when their lips met again after almost a year. No further words were spoken that night as they rekindled the love that never truly died.

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It was a typical Wednesday afternoon at 4A. Sheldon and Leonard were working on a formula for calculating surface tension. Leonard thought he must have been imagining things the first time Sheldon did it, but after the third time, he figured out his friend was actually humming; which was odd because humming is one of the many things that he doesn't like hearing from people around him.

"Since when do you hum songs?" he asked Sheldon.

"What are you talking about?" he asked back, looking at Leonard with confusion.

"You were just humming."

"Are you sure? Sometimes when my brain really gets moving, it makes noise," he tells Leonard.

"How does your brain feel about calculating the surface tension of the domain walls?"

"Let's see," he started, returning his attention to the white board in front of him. He started humming again. "Hey, I was humming! One point for Hufflepuff. What song is that?"

"Well, hum it again," he said and Sheldon tried the tune again. "Is that the SpongeBob song?"

"Who lives in a pineapple. Nope," Sheldon tried.

"Whatever. Can we just get back to this?"

"I feel like I know what song that is, but I can't put my finger on it. _(Singing)_ My country, 'tis of thee. No," Sheldon said, trying to think harder.

"It's just an ear-worm. It'll come to you," he told him, trying to get back to their formula.

"Okay. _(Singing)_ R-E-S-P-E-C-T. No,"

"Is this what we're doing the rest of the night?" Leonard asked, annoyed.

"I'm surprised you have to ask," he sing-song-ed.

 _Oh boy.. This is going to be a long night,_ Leonard thought, rolling his eyes, just as Sheldon started humming again.

xo


	16. The Earworm Reverberation Exploration II

**A/N** : And with this chapter, The Juxtapose Accentuation ends...

 **Disclaimer** : Everything related to The Big Bang Theory, included in this fiction, is not and will never be mine. They all belong to the creators and produces of said TV show.

 **Chapter 16** : The Ear-worm Reverberation Exploration II

Sheldon has not been this frustrated since that time Wolowitz tricked him into believing that he could really guess whatever card he chooses from his deck. It's been more than 24 hours since his ear worm started and he still hasn't figured out what song it is that's been dominating his thoughts. The night before, Leonard gave up on him and their formula after about two hours. From the moment he pointed out Sheldon was humming, all the lanky man did was hum the tune and try various lyrics to see if any of them will fit. Leonard just grew tired of helping him name the song so he just went out of the apartment.

Now, as Sheldon sits in front of his computer, his mind is still nowhere near figuring out what song has been haunting him since last night. He tried reading music-related articles but none of the one's he read gave him any clues. Earlier that morning, he read anything he can find about ear worms to know how much trouble he'd be in if he doesn't find out the title of the song soon. None of those helped either; if anything, it just bothered him more when he realized how close he was to losing his mind. He knows that it's not impossible. With a brilliant mind like his, paired with an eidetic memory that records everything, he was sure it's just a matter of time.

"Ugh! Why are you letting me down, brain?!" He yelled in frustration. He got up and closed his computer, walking over to the kitchen to make a sandwich. He got everything he needed out of the fridge; however, when he was spreading mustard to his bread, his mind started playing the tune again. His mouth followed, vocalizing in the same tune. He continued the task absent-mindedly. Penny and Leonard walked in the apartment and saw him with a distant look and a bread in hand with way, too much mustard.

"Sheldon!" Penny called out and he dropped both the bread and knife, startled by the sudden company.

"What?!" he asked in annoyance. "What are you doing yelling my name like that?"

"Oh I don't know, I mean I'm not the one making a mustard sandwich here," she said sarcastically. Sheldon looked down and his eyebrows shot up when he saw what she was talking about. The slice of bread had a layer of mustard, close to how thick the ham he was going to put on it.

"What is with you today, Sheldon?" she asked while Sheldon started throwing the bread in the trash and putting away the rest, no longer interested in eating.

"Is this still about the song?" Leonard asked, looking him over the glasses.

"Yes! It is ruining every single thought that I have. Now apparently, even the simplest tasks that I do is no longer an exemption," he answered plopping down on his spot. He covered his face with one had and let out a huge sigh.

"Sheldon, sweetie, why don't you relax for a while. Try reading something, or watching a movie, I don't know. Just try to do something that might help you get distracted," Penny tells him, patting his knee. He looks at her like she just said something ridiculous. "What?" she asked.

"That's exactly what I have been doing! I'm trying to get this ear worm out of my head but nothing seems to be working!" he bellowed. Penny looked at Leonard, who just shrugged and shook his head at her.

"Do you want me to drive you to the comic book store, or zoo? Anywhere really, just tell me," Leonard offered, partly because he didn't want to spend time in their apartment with Sheldon humming and grunting the rest of the day.

"No. I think I'll just try to get some sleep. I didn't get much last night," he replied, getting up and walking towards the hallway.

"You don't have to tell me," Leonard whispered when he was sure the man was out of earshot.

Leonard sat on one of the stools and Penny followed him. "You think he's really losing it?" she asked.

"Well, it's not impossible. But it's just a bad case of ear worm, don't worry about it." Leonard dismissed.

* * *

Amy has been staring at her phone for almost five minutes now. She was thinking about what she just did: asking Dave out again. The man was really nice, the only thing that bothered her about him was the fact that he was a total fan boy of the man that she was trying to forget. "He said yes; Sheldon declined you. Stop berating yourself!" she muttered while holding her phone close to her chest. "Ugh!" she grunted. She knows that she did nothing wrong. She's still single, Dave was single and most important of all: Sheldon rejected her. She felt conflicted because she felt like she was getting back at him. She knows in her heart that he was right. Getting over her was probably the hardest thing that he had to do. And knowing Sheldon, letting things go isn't his best attribute. Amy knows that she shouldn't hold Sheldon against his decision. He was just protecting himself from being hurt again. She rested her head against the couch and stared up at the ceiling.

"What have you done, Amy?" she asked herself. She was trying to imagine how much damage she's caused Sheldon when she broke up with him. Apparently, it was enough for him to feel the need to protect his heart from non-existent dangers. _Non-existent? Really?_ she thought angrily. She pinched the bridge of her nose. "It shouldn't be this complicated," she tells the room in front of her. There's no point dwelling on it now. What's done is done; she asked Sheldon to get back together with her and he declined. She asked Dave to go out with her again and he accepted. Didn't she spend enough time being taken for granted already? Oh but those parallel play that Sheldon and her often had when they're together... Those were the simplest, yet most enjoyable time with the guy. Her thoughts were interrupted by a set of knocks on her door signaling Bernadette's arrival. She'll mull things over again later.

* * *

Later that evening, Sheldon brought out his keyboard and kept playing the tune. He tried thinking of song lyrics that might fit it but his attempt was still futile. Leonard, who was trying to review a paper, kept shooting deadly glares at him, but Sheldon didn't even notice any of them.

"Why can't I recall this song? This is taking far too long. The urge to bang my head against the wall again and again and again and again and again is strong," he sung along with his keyboards.

"Put on some headphones," Leonard requested.

"No they make my earlobes sweat," Sheldon replied, still singing his words. Leonard shot Penny a look, asking for help. He knew that if Sheldon didn't stop soon, he'll probably end up throwing him out of the apartment.

"Hey, sweetie, why don't you take a break and do something else for a while?" Penny asked him. Sheldon stared at him for a moment, like he was seeing nothing in front of him.

"There was a project I've been thinking about starting," he started.

"Okay, great. What is it?" Penny asks, curious about what he was about to do.

"I'll show you," he said, picking up his phone and pointing the phone's camera at him. _"_ Dear Crazy Future Sheldon, you were driven mad by an ear worm. Your mind, once your most trusted asset, is now a sack of parrots and monkeys. So, I'm going to tell you everything you need to know. Uh, first, music is dangerous. The movie Footloose tried to warn us, but we wouldn't listen. Oh, wait," he stopped, trying to recall the words to the song, _"_ Everybody cut footloose. Nope," he finished.

"I'll pay a thousand dollars to watch you cut footloose," Penny teased. He then pointed the camera at her.

"This is Penny. She is your friend. If she offers you food, it's safe to take it. You probably paid for it, anyway," he tells the camera again, sending Penny a smile.

The rest of the night, Sheldon spent documenting everything that he does and cataloging everything that he owned while filming. Leonard and Penny decided to retire for the night earlier than they intended to avoid Sheldon, only to be disrupted when some time, later that evening he started playing his keyboard again. Penny had to go into his room and pry the thing out of his hands by force. Just when she thought that they could finally sleep, he belted out on his tuba. Penny then decided to try something else, giving the man a cup of tea with a little bit of Ambien. Only then, were they able to really retire for the night.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The next day, the same thing happened. While the ear worm was driving Sheldon crazy, the couple living with him was also suffering from their own ear worm. A 6'2 feet man that kept playing instruments and humming the same tune that's he's been obsessing over for the past two days. Not only that, he now also records almost every minute of his day; keen to finish listing all of his stuff down via his video blog out of fear that he will, one day forget everything. He felt more betrayed than when Leonard and the guys tampered with his experiment. His brain was, after all, his most trusted companion, but now even his beloved intellect was failing him. Everybody and everyone was failing him.

"Sheldon would you please put you phone down for a minute and work on this!" Leonard bellowed, gesturing towards the boards in front of them. Sheldon messing with his coffee only drove him more to the edge of strangling his roommate. Luckily for him, shouting at Sheldon seem to still affect him like it always had before. He raised his arms in defeat and replaced his phone on the coffee table. He walked over to his board and picked up when he left off on Wednesday. They managed to finish the formula after a few tries and Leonard suggested they go out for dinner that night since Penny was running late again and couldn't pick up their pizza. To his surprise, Sheldon didn't even put up a fight and just grabbed his windbreaker jacket.

They went to Giacomo's and Penny met them there. The trio ordered the same pizza they were supposed to have at home. Everything was going well until Sheldon started clinking his fork against his glass, making the people around them stare. Leonard just hung his head low when their attempts at making him stop was ignored. A few patriots of the Italian place left because of the noise, some were shooting them annoyed glances and a few were complaining to the staff about the man who kept hitting his glass with his fork. Eventually, they were asked to leave the establishment. Sheldon was about to start his lecture about why they shouldn't be kicked out of the place, but Penny just grabbed him by the collar and muttered her apologies to the manager while walking away. They didn't talk on their way home. Sheldon knew he did something wrong, though he liked to think otherwise, so he just kept his mouth shut. Being kicked out of a restaurant is never good and he realized how embarrassed the couple must have been earlier. They didn't speak until they reached the fourth floor. Penny and Leonard chose to stay at her apartment that night and Sheldon didn't need to ask why. He tried to apologize to them but they just went in Penny's apartment without saying good night. He thought their action was rude.

When he turned in, he took out his recorder and started playing the tune again. It drove him mad and saw the clock on his night stand that now says 11:30. He's been playing the tune for almost two hours. He was getting more and more convinced that he was going mad. He knew he needed a distraction so he got up and went out of his room. He tried to work on some equations that had been on stand-by for a since his earworm started. He gave up after five minutes when he noticed that all he was doing was tapping his marker against the board to the same tune. He sat down on his chair and reached for his phone. He started the camera again.

"Sheldon Cooper's descent into madness, day two, It is two minutes after midnight. This is also the second night of me, recording the events of my day while under a serious case of an ear worm. I am getting more and more convinced that this is something more than a simple song stuck to my head. I have an eidetic memory; my mind recalls every single details of every single memory I have since I was three. This should be easy but it's not. The mystery tune has been dominating every thought of my day since Wednesday evening." He looked around his apartment, thinking of items that he hasn't mentioned in his blog yet. He then saw the painting that's hiding his wall safe. He walked over to it and opened his vault to retrieve his safe. He took it and placed it on their coffee table. He pulled out the ring box, holding the ring that he was going to give Amy. He stared at it for a while and then held it in front of his phone camera.

"This is a ring that has been in my family for almost four generations now. I was supposed to be the next one to own this and give it to my girlfriend when I ask her hand in marriage," he started, but he went quiet for a while before looking back at the camera. "Now I feel that it really needs to go back to my mother. Or maybe not. I don't know. I suppose it depends on whether Amy will still take me back or not. Honestly, I have not even made up my mind if I will go through with it. All the pain I've had to deal with for the past six months just proves that all this love nonsense is, well, nonsense. It just brings destruction to anyone who engages in the affair." He sighed. He then closed the ring box and walked over to his laptop. He opened it and the screen displayed a picture of Amy. He held his phone away from him so that it would show both him and the screen.

"This is Amy Farrah Fowler," he started again. "She is the love of my life. She broke up with a little over, six months ago. That was the most painful experience I had, and let me tell you, there are numerous times that I've been hurt badly in my 35 years of existence. She told me, eight days ago that she was ready to be my girlfriend again, but I rejected her. I don't know what exactly I was thinking then but it didn't make my response to her untrue. I did have to put a lot of effort into moving on. While I'm positive that I may never get over her completely, at least I got to a place where I could finally feel content with being her friend. But now I'm not so sure anymore," he finished. He closed his laptop and stopped his phone from recording. He went back to his room. He laid on his bed and waited for sleep, but it was elusive. He reached for his phone again and texted the one person that has been distracting him whenever he needed, for almost a month now, to see if she was awake. She probably wasn't, but it was worth the try. He fell asleep trying to wait for a response from Vanessa that never came. Around 2:20 he woke up. Grunting, he got out of bed to do an unscheduled bathroom trip.

* * *

Amy was almost done with the pasta that she prepared for her stay-home date with Dave. She tried to light up a few candles and placed it on her dining table to set the mood, but changed her mind, thinking the action was a bit bold for her taste. She wasn't trying to accomplish but she was sure about trying something new tonight, anything new that will take her mind off Sheldon and the rejection she experienced more than a week ago. She knew it wasn't fair for Dave to be her rebound, but it's not like he wasn't trying to move on from his ex-wife with her. They were both benefiting from this setup. Around 7, Dave arrived with a bottle of wine. Dinner was going well until he asked about her residency at her apartment that eventually opened up another segment of gushing over the Physicist. She shut the lid off the topic but Dave asked about the train that Sheldon got her a few years back. She gave up and just answered the seemingly endless questions he sent her way about her ex. Dave eventually realized his mistake and stopped his questions, trying some safer topics. Amy was thankful for her efforts and their evening continued without either of them, mentioning said Physicist.

* * *

Sheldon thought the couple would still be mad at him in the morning, but he was surprised when they even made him some oatmeal for breakfast. They explained that they might have been too rough on him the previous evening and apologized for ignoring him. When he tried to start sounding boastful again, Penny stared at him with the look that can make anyone shut up, so he did. The couple decided to go out that day to shop and watch a movie. Sheldon declined when they offered, afraid his ear worm will start disrupting his thoughts again while in the theater. Later that evening, they were having dinner at 4A. Sheldon was humming, vocalizing and was still irritating himself and the couple in front of him. To his relief, Penny and Leonard seem to be getting used to his ear worm and was focusing on their meal instead.

"Bah, bam, bum-bum, bah, bum, bum. This song is never going to stop. Have you ever dealt with something so relentlessly irritating?" he huffed in frustration.

"That's a trick question, right?" Leonard asked his wife. Sheldon frowned at him while Penny just smirked.

"Well, I shouldn't be surprised. There's a rich history of brilliant minds descending into madness," he tells them.

"Come on, Sheldon. There are plenty of smart people who don't have mental problems," Penny said, trying to be comforting.

"Yup, she's right. For every Newton who had a psychological issue, there's an Edison who was just a jerk. That could totally be you," said Leonard, totally missing Penny's aim at comforting the man.

"Empedocles thought he was a god and jumped into a volcano. And Pythagoras had an irrational fear of beans. Tesla fell madly in love with a pigeon who he claimed loved him back," he told them, citing the names of brilliant minds who walked the planet, who ended up being crazy.

"Maybe he just had bread in his pocket," Penny joked. Sheldon shot her a look of disapproval.

"The list extends outside of science. Painters like Van Gogh and Pollock, chess champion Bobby Fischer, Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys-" Just then, it finally came rushing back to him. The song started playing in his head with the proper words, finally blending in with the tune. He felt like hundreds, of thousand of snippets just connected inside his head. Like a light bulb, brighter than any that he's ever seen, just lit the his entire mind. _"_ I remember the song. It's called Darlin' by the Beach Boys!" He let out, filled with glee of finally remembering what the song is. After that, came the realization that he's still not crazy. He felt silly no; after all, didn't his mother have him tested? How could he possibly have doubted his beloved brain? "Oh, thank goodness. I'm not crazy! I don't have to take a pigeon as my bride," he bursts with relief.

"There goes our shot at him living on the roof," said Leonard. Sheldon's happiness would not be deterred, though. He quickly finished his dinner and put his plate away. He then went to sit in his spot, bringing his laptop with him. He googled the song and wanting nothing more than to play it to satisfy the need to hear the entire song. Leonard and Penny finished their meal, not long after he did. Penny joined Sheldon on the couch while Leonard cleaned up in the kitchen. When Sheldon found the song on iTunes, he played it right away. As he listens to the beginning of the song, he remembered where he heard it: Vanessa's car. His brows furrowed together in irritation.

"I knew music in the car is never good!" he hissed.

Penny stared at him, confused. "Who dared to play music inside a moving vehicle while Sheldon Cooper is in it?" she asked.

Sheldon whipped his head to look at her. He forgot he wasn't alone in his apartment. And that Penny didn't have a clue about his friend. He avoided her gaze and tried to blame on the bus to cover his mistake. Penny bought it since she didn't see the eye-twitch he got when he said it. But Leonard did. While the music was playing, Leonard set their whiteboards up again, hoping they could finally get some serious work done now that his friend finally got the ear worm problem taken care of. Sheldon played the song the third time and started tapping his foot along with the song's beat.

"I wonder why it was this particular song that was stuck in my head," he mused.

"I don't know. It's pretty catchy," Leonard answered, nodding his head along too. He then turned his attention back to his board.

"Do you even like the Beach Boys?" Penny asked.

"They have beach right in the name. What do you think?" he asked sarcastically.

"Well, now that you can focus again, what do you say we get back to surface tension of domain walls?"

Sheldon felt at ease now that he finally got the ear worm out of his head. He nodded and got up, walking over to his board. "Of course. I'm already seeing a more efficient way of taming the ultravi-" he stopped dead in his tracks when he realized something. "I know why the song was in my head."

"Why?" Penny asked him.

The feeling was more intense than when he first touched a bird; than when he first climbed a wall; than when he first met Stephen Hawking. He could say it was like hitting a solid wall while running at full speed. "It's about Amy," he answered with a distant look in his eyes.

Penny rolled her eyes at him. "Okay, look, I know Amy's like an old lady, but she's not old enough to have a song from the sixties written about her."

He just shook his head at her remark and went back to his laptop to search the lyrics of the song. "It's about how she made my life better. Consider the lyrics. I was living like half a man. Then I couldn't love, but now I can. More soul than I ever had. I love the way you soften my life," he finished.

Penny was touched at how sweet his comparison was. "She did soften your life, didn't she?"

"Yes!" he exclaimed. As quickly as realization came to him, he knew what he needed to do next; no further questions asked. "She's like the dryer sheets of my heart. I have to go." And with that, he left the apartment in a rush. Penny and Leonard couldn't be prouder of the guy for doing what he was about to do.

Luck wasn't on Sheldon's side though. In his haste to leave for Amy's apartment, he didn't notice his phone's battery is running out. When he reached the nearest bus stop, he was a little too late as it was already pulling away. He bent over and placed his hand on each of his knees, huffing a little because of running. He decided to call Leonard but before he could dial, Vanessa's number appeared on the screen. Without second thinking, he answered the call with the thought of asking her to drive him to Amy's place.

"Hi Sheldon, I was just-" Vanessa started, only to be cut off.

"Hello! Vanessa, where are you? Are you doing anything?" he asked in a single breath.

"Uhm, I'm out right now, just finished dinner actually. What's going on?" she asked a little worried.

"Great! Can you come pick me up? I need to go to Glendale right now," he rushed out.

Vanessa thought if something was actually wrong, but before she can ask her next question, he spoke again. "Vanessa please! I need to go to Amy, I need to tell her she's my heart worm!"

Vanessa smiled upon hearing Amy's name. She wasn't sure about what a heart worm is, exactly, but it was clear what Sheldon needed. Looks like her genius friend finally had a wake up call. More than that, she was willing to help him out. "I'll be there in a few minutes. Are you at your apartment?" she asked.

"Close. I'm at the first bus stop almost a block from our building."

"Okay. Don't move. We'll be there in a few," she ordered him.

"What do you mean don't move? You can't exactly expect me to-"

"Just stay there!" she bellowed and then hung up.

"And what do you mean 'we'll be there'?" he asked, then realized the call already ended. He crossed his arms and craned his neck, looking from left to right a few times, waiting for a bus or Vanessa. Whichever brings him faster to Amy, he'll take it.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Vanessa was driving a little faster than what Brent was used to. He didn't know if she was already violating traffic rules as he was still not familiar with the traffic enforcement in California. He was starting to get nervous about her speed though. When he asked her where they were going and why she was in a hurry, she just told her a friend needed her. Then when they reached the car, she asked him to take the back seat instead. He tried to ask why but she just looked seriously at him and that told him not to ask any more questions.

Turning the last corner, Vanessa saw Sheldon standing by the bus stop. She honked and Sheldon looked up and smiled. She stopped the car in front of him and he quickly went inside.

"Hello. Thank you for picking me up," he said, securing his seat belt.

"No problem. Where to, Dr. Coop?"

"What?" he asked, confused by her new name for him. He shook his head and told her the address instead.

At the back of the car, Brent was just looking between his girlfriend and the lanky man that they picked up. Vanessa was starting to drive again when he spoke. "What exactly is happening here?" Brent asked. Sheldon yelped and looked at him with big eyes. Vanessa felt guilty for forgetting he was there.

"Who are you?" Sheldon asked, clutching his chest.

"I think the better question here is who are you?" he returned.

"I'm sorry honey," Vanessa started. The last thing she wanted was two guys fighting inside her car. "This is Dr. Sheldon Cooper. Sheldon this is Brent, my boyfriend."

Brent eyed Sheldon up and down and settled back in his seat. He crossed his arm and looked outside. Vanessa kept looking at him through the rear-view mirror. She knew he probably had a lot of questions, but it's not like she ever actually dated Sheldon. She knew she had to put his mind at ease though.

"Brent. He's just a friend. And actually, the reason we're driving to Glendale right now is because he's going to declare his feelings for the love of his life," she told him.

"Don't make me sound like I'm a hippie," Sheldon complained but he backed off at the look that she gave him.

"Oh. Well, I'm sorry." Brent told her, finally looking at her. He then reached out and placed his hand on hers that was holding the clutch. Then he looked at Sheldon and apologized. The rest of the car ride was quiet. When they finally arrived at Amy's apartment, Sheldon turned to look at Vanessa.

"I'd say it was your fault that I had to suffer through an ear worm for the past three days, but if it wasn't for that ear worm, I wouldn't realize just how stupid I was for letting Amy go," he rushed out.

"I'll take that as a thank you. And you are welcome," she said. He smiled at her and even shook Brent's hand. He ran his way up to Amy's apartment. Brent moved to the front seat and arched his brow at her when he closed the door.

"He's an oddball but you'd be surprised at how nice he actually can be," she told him. With that, they made their way home to what they now refer to as, their apartment.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Sheldon couldn't even wait for the elevator to reach the ground floor, he bolted his way up the stairs until he reached the third floor. When he finally got in front of Amy's door, he inhaled and exhaled before finally doing his signature knock. Inside Amy's apartment, she froze, halfway through kissing Dave as she hears the all-too familiar knock, pounding down her door. Her heart made a leap at the sound. _What could Sheldon possibly want at this time of the night?_ she thought.

"That's Sheldon," she tells him apologetically.

"You're kidding. How's my hair?" Dave answered, a little too enthusiastic than how she wanted. It annoyed her, so she just went to open the door. She opened the door to a Sheldon who looked like he was trying to catch his breath.

"Sheldon, this, this isn't a good time," she started but Sheldon spoke quickly after that.

""I don't care. Amy, there was a song I couldn't get out of my head. Eventually, I realized the song was about you, and like that ear worm, I can't get you out of my heart. So, what I'm trying to say is, you're my heart worm. The metaphorical kind, not, not the poodle-killing kind," he rushed out, not letting her say anything before he's done.

"What?" she asked. She didn't understand what he was implying.

Dave was listening from behind the door and unlike Amy, he understood what the Physicist meant. He didn't think it was rude, so he interjected to spare his idol from having to repeat himself. "If I may, I believe what he's saying, in a charming and delightful way, is that he loves you and wants you back. Dave Gibbs, huge fan of your work. Don't mind me," he finished, shaking Sheldon's hand.

Sheldon was surprised to find that Amy was actually on a date. The sight of the man pinched his hear a little. Now he was starting to feel silly again. "I'm, I'm sorry; I didn't realize you were on a date."

"No, it, it, it's okay. Keep going?" she encouraged. And he did exactly what she just said.

"Amy, if you want to be my girlfriend again, I really want to be your boyfriend," he asked nervously.

"I really want that, too," answering him with a huge grin on her face.

"Good. Because I love you," Sheldon replied. He couldn't help but put on a smile too.

"I love you, too," she said back. Those were the most beautiful words he's heard in a while. No tune, no lyrics can ever compete with hearing the woman he loves, confirm that she feels the same about him. They stood, looking into each others eyes, with the brightest smiles either have worn in a while. Amy wanted to grab him and Sheldon wanted to do the same but neither was moving.

Dave couldn't keep his excitement at bay. It's not everyday that he witnesses such real declaration of love. Not to mention, it was his favorite scientist who was involved. "Kiss her, you brilliant fool!" he ordered.

Sheldon was taken aback, and the fact that Dave was even taller than him didn't help the intimidation that he felt. He obliged, walking slowly towards Amy. He held his arms out and Amy went in and started wrapping her arms around him too. Then it happened. As their lips touched, once again, after all the time they were apart, it felt like every broken bone was finally melded back to their original place; every wound, finally began to heal; both hearts, finally started beating again; two souls, finally meeting again. It was a kiss neither have ever had before with each other. Open-mouthed kisses, that used to bother Sheldon was all that he wanted with Amy now. Their lips were chasing one another, moving in perfect synchronization; moving against each other, like there were no two sets of lips better molded for each other. It felt like it was never going to end, but Amy felt Sheldon slowly pulling back and then their lips were apart again. She missed his lips right after they left hers. He looked into her eyes with such intensity that she's never seen before, but then he spoke.

"Well, I'll let you get back to your date,"

 _Nope._ Amy thought. _You're not going anywhere. "_ Get back here!" she told him while pulling him back for another kiss. It was the same kiss. The only kind of kiss that they'll always share from now on.

It could have been hours, or days or weeks. For all Sheldon and Amy cared, they could have been kissing for a century and it wouldn't have mattered. The only thing that matters, and that will ever matter is that they were back in each others arms. Sheldon didn't even notice Dave was already gone, or that they were on the couch or the fact that he was on top of her while he was kissing her neck. Amy groaned and that seem to pull Sheldon out of his trance. He pulled his head back and looked at his girlfriend. Then he slowly realized their current position, but he didn't move this time. He gulped and smiled shyly at her. She returned his smile and touched his cheek.

"Please tell me I'm not dreaming," she tells him. He smiled and closed his eyes. He leaned his forehead against hers.

"Only if you prove to me that I'm not," he replied. She laughed and he joined her. He sat straighter and helped her up. She thought of asking him to cuddle, but decided to not push her luck; however, the need to ask went out the window when he held out his arms, inviting her in. She wouldn't miss that for the world. They cuddled on her couch, like they did, a million moons ago. Only this time, she wasn't hurting, she wasn't sad and most important of all, she didn't need to make him do it out of compromise. Sheldon was willingly cuddling with her. Her heart was bursting in her chest; partly because they were still catching their breath from the intense and long kiss, but mostly because she felt so giddy about what just transpired. Shamy is back together. He still loves her. Whatever brought this on, she was grateful for it. With his arms around her protectively, like he was afraid that she will leave at any second, he could've hit his head to realize everything for all she cares.

Meanwhile, Sheldon was thinking about the same thing. He can't believe a song that he's never like before would be the key to finally wake him up and face the truth that he can't live without Amy. He needs her in his life; he loves her with all of his heart. His perfect memory was playing their seemingly endless kiss in vivid details and it was doing all sorts of things to him. Good things. Things that makes him want to go further. Things that make him throw any questions out of the way because everything felt right. Everything is finally in place again. Maybe Vanessa was right after all; maybe physical intimacy is different from how he views it if he does it with the woman he loves. He's not sure when exactly, but he's sure that it wouldn't be for a long time now, he will give Amy one of the many things she wants and deserves out of their relationship. One that he's always denied her of.

She looked up at him and gave him a sly smile. "What?" he asked.

"You're my boyfriend again," she answered giggling. He didn't understand why she was doing that, but he found it adorable.

He just smiled and said, "And you are my girlfriend again. Stating the obvious; really, Amy?" he asked in mock derision. She narrowed her eyes at him but she was smirking. He did the same.

"I love you," she said.

"As I love you," he replied. He bent his head and kissed her three more times, each one lasting longer than the last.

There's still a lot to figure out, but at least the biggest one was already out of the way. They were back together. She was his, and he was hers again. As it shall always be from now on; of that, he will make sure.

\- End -

A/N: Thank you to everyone who gave my story a shot. Thank you for everyone who followed, favorited and reviewed my work. I LOVE YOU ALL! I didn't think my story would be noticed, let alone given this much attention. To other writers, maybe it's not a lot, but for a novice like me, that already means the world! The sequel of TJA entitled, "The Immutable Constancy Execution" is already posted here with two chapters. That's going to be my SHAMY proposal fic. Give it a read when you have time. Again, thank you. :D


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